Terminator Genisys

"Terminator: Genesis" is the fifth installment of the Terminator movie franchise. Originally announced as a sequel to Terminator Salvation by McG to be released sometime in 2011, Halcyon Company was forced to declare bankruptcy and production was put on hiatus. The film has now been picked up by Megan and David Ellison of their production company Annapurna Films and Skydance Production.

Cast

 * Arnold Schwarzenegger
 * Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor
 * Jason Clarke as John Connor

McG's Plot
Terminator Salvation was to introduce a new trilogy, consisting of Salvation, Terminator 5, and Terminator 6.

In statements to FilmJournal, McG revealed his plans to have the movie set in 2011, pre-Judgment Day - similar to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles revelation that Judgment Day takes place on April 21, 2011 - and to bring back the chase feel of the original trilogy. The plot had Skynet discovering how to send non-Infiltrator Terminators such as Hunter-Killers and Harvesters through the Time Displacement Equipment. John Connor goes back through time to fight the machines using present day military tactics and technology while being pursued by a new model Terminator. While in the past, he meets a 60 year-old scientist played by Robert Patrick, who is researching cell replication and was to become the template of the T-1000. McG also planned to have Sarah Connor live until 2011, which would have retconned Terminator 3's plot of her dying of leukemia. Rumors circulated that the film would take place in modern day London, despite the fact that both Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation state that Judgment Day happened in 2004.

Lin's Plot
Justin Lin's plot has so far included the survival of Sarah Connor, as well as a reboot to the series.

2009
Production of a fifth film had been halted by legal trouble pertaining to the rights to the Terminator Franchise as well as production Company Halcyon filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. In late September 2009, it was announced that the rights for the franchise were up for sale as the Halcyon Company tried to pull itself out of bankruptcy.

In late October, Halcyon announced it would auction off the rights to future Terminator material and was seeking $60–70 million, though the only offer was $10,000 by director Joss Whedon.

In December, Halcyon issued a statement that they are looking at various options including sale and refinancing of the rights with an announcement on the outcome no later than February 1 of 2010. James Cameron expressed no interest in taking back the Terminator franchise.

2010
On February 8, 2010, an auction was held to determine the owner of the Terminator rights. After studios Sony and Lionsgate bid separately from 3 PM to 8 PM, Pacificor, the hedge fund who pushed Halycon into bankruptcy, made a deal for $29.5 million. William Wisher, Jr. has written a script for a fifth Terminator film and an outline for a sixth film.

On August 13, following the announcement of the animated movie Terminator 3000, Pacificor released a statement that they are continuing development of a live action Terminator 5 and they are seeking an injunction to block the animated spinoff film. It was reported that Pacifior was in talks with Sony and Lionsgate to handle future Terminator films.

2011
On April 26, it was announced that Pacificor, current rights holder to the Terminator franchise, is seeking distributors for a possible Terminator sequel with Arnold Schwarzenegger signed to star in the film and Fast and Furious Justin Lin directing.

On May 12, a battle over the rights to the Terminator franchise between Lionsgate and billionaire film backer Megan Ellison and her company, Annapurna Films, ensued. While Lionsgate managed to bring up half of the $29.5 million to buy the rights to the franchise, Ellison won the rights with an undisclosed amount of money the following day.

While Lin has been in talks with Schwarzenegger and Cameron on the plot of the fifth installment, he has ultimately dropped the film in favor for Fast 6, the tentative name of the sixth installment of the Fast & Furious series, leaving Annapurna Films to produce and release both Terminator 5 and Terminator 6 before 2018, where the rights will revert to Cameron.

2012
On January 27, Megan Ellison stated that the next Terminator movie will have an R-Rating.

On June 8, Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that after he has completed work on Unknown Soldier and Ten, filming for Terminator 5 would begin. The story will be a continuation of Terminator Salvation's, and it is unknown if Justin Lin is still directing.

On December 3, a year and half after negotiations were entered, the deal between PacificCorp and Annapurna was closed. Megan Ellison enlisted her brother David Ellison(Skydance productions) on the production process. She said they are "starting from scratch as they seek out a screenwriter to plot the end".

2013
On June 14, 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed to thearnoldfans.com reporter Andrew Hedgman that he will be back for his 4th film as the Terminator/T-800 and he said the filming will start in January 2014. Paramount Pictures is in discussions to distribute the film with Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier writing the script. The film is currently looking for a director with Justin Lin, who was originally in discussions to direct, looking to be out of contention after deciding to direct Fast and Furious 6 instead.

On June 20, 2013, it was revealed that Dwayne Johnson is being considered for the film. Further, a possible plot synopsis was released for the film: "The next chunk they have on the film is on the setting for the story. According to Examiner sources, the setting for Terminator 5 will be set before the birth of Sarah Connor and focus on her parents in the 1940s and 50s. The Examiner also reports that Schwarzenegger might not play a Terminator however could play the human hero of the film who has close connections to the Connor family however he is well antiquated with weaponry by today's standards ultimately inspired the machines to develop a terminator in his likeness that was eventually sent to 1984 when Sarah Connor was first targeted for termination. These rumors however contradict Schwarzenegger's recent comments where he announced he would return as a Terminator in the next film.

The fifth installment, both a reboot and the start of a new trilogy unrelated to what has come before, is scheduled for release on July 1, 2015. On November 6, 2013, Schmoes Knows reports that actresses Emilia Clarke, Brie Larson, Margot Robbie and Tatiana Maslany are being looked at for the role of Sarah Connor & her son John is also being cast, with Boyd Holbrook and Garrett Hedlund being considered. On November 8, 2013, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Hedlund, Tom Hardy, Taylor Kitsch and Nicholas Hoult are being tested for Kyle Reese. On December 11, 2013, it was announced that Jason Clarke had entered talks to play John Connor. On December 13, Deadline confirmed that Emilia Clarke has been cast as Sarah Connor.

2014
On January 10, 2014, Variety reports that Boyd Holbrook, Tom Cocquerel, Wilson Bethel, Sam Reid and Jai Courtney are among the actors that will test for the role of Kyle Reese. On January 24, 2014, Variety also reports that Megan and her production company are no longer funding the film, leaving her brother’s production company and Paramount will be the sole financiers, but will stay on board as exclutive producer for the film. On February 10, 2014, Deadline reports that both Courtney and Holbrook are the studios top choices for Reese.

Televison series tie-in
In December 2013, it was announced that a new Terminator television series is in development by Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures. Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, who had worked on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles together, will be the writers and executive producers. The series is said to take place at "a critical moment from the first Terminator film (1984) and where the film's story goes one way, the upcoming series will take the same moment in a completely different direction.", as well as tie into the new film trilogy, eventually affecting each other's continuity.