This Terminator Movie is Happening, Deal With It

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 23, 2008

For months now we have all had an on-again, off-again love/hate affair with the upcoming fourth installment of the Terminator series, now officially re-titled as Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. At least, that is the title listed in the official press release that I received in my inbox last night from Warner Brothers. The release states that the production is already underway in Albuquerque, New Mexico, having started on May 5. As well, the release also gives us our first shot at an official synopsis, which can be read below:

In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

The release also reveals the official supporting cast, which includes Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, Charlotte Gainsbourg as Kate Connor, Moon Bloodgood as Blair Williams, Common as Barnes and Jadagrace as Star.

As you can see, there are a few somewhat interesting developments here. First of all is Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is not only a very attractive gal, but she is also a damn good actress. You may remember her from 21 Grams or The Science of Sleep. Or for those who were unlucky enough to take in the mess that was The Golden Door, she was the shining bit of hope in that film. Her presence helps to raise the expectations on this film, further offsetting the McG factor.

The second interesting part of the release is this character of Star, played by Jadagrace. We’ve checked around and it appears that no one (except obviously the filmmakers) knows who Jadagrace is. Therefore, it is safe to assume that this is a genuine newcomer who sports a very singular name — either that, or we are now crediting characters who are 100% CGI. Not sure.

Either way we now have some perspective on where this film fits into the Terminator universe — Bale is John Connor, which we already knew; Charlotte Gainsbourg is his wife Kate, who was previously Kate Brewster (played in Terminator 3 by Claire Danes); and Anton Yelchin is Kyle Reese, who was last seen in the first Terminator movie (played by Michael Beihn) battling Arnie and making out with Linda Hamilton — which somehow sounds a lot worse than it is.

As for the film, it is going to hit theaters on May 22, 2009. For more, keep an eye on the following site, as it will soon be the film’s official website: www.terminatorsalvation.com

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