'Terminator 5': Something's Coming

Funny how a few weeks back news came out that the long-in-silent development Terminator 5 had hit a snag and the project was basically dead.

Look how things have changed.

Yesterday, Annapurna Pictures (the production company behind this year's many notable big-budget art films including Lawless, The Master, Killing Them Softly, and Zero Dark Thirty) made this cryptic message on Twitter concerning the new Terminator film:

"The whole thing goes: The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves." -John Connor, Terminator 2 (news is coming)

Something is boiling.  Whether it's the creative team they are bringing in, a release date, or maybe just an announcement that they have a story in mind, Terminator 5 is happening and I for one could not be more excited.

What is the one thing that this Terminator film has going for it that neither Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines or Terminator Salvation had?  Complete creative and artistic freedom...with a huge budget.  No studio heads.  No execs to please.  Just money to be spent and a vision to bring to the screen.  How is that you ask?  Two words:

Megan. Ellison.

You know, the billionaire heiress to the Oracle Corporation founded by her father, Larry Ellison.  Megan founded and owns Annapurna Pictures, who bought the Terminator rights last year.  She can offer any talented filmmaker who grew up loving James Cameron's Terminator films complete control to bring credibility back to the franchise...again, with money too.

You have to realize how extremely enticing that is to a filmmaker.  Think about it.  Very few filmmakers not named Spielberg, Nolan, Fincher, Bay, and of course, Cameron, have the ability to call the shots on every aspect of a film they make.  Ellison offers that.  She's shown it for all the films she has coming out this year as well as many more already in production.  It is why I think she is putting together an extremely talented team for a new Terminator film...and is doing it behind the scenes as well.

We shall see as - no pun intended - the future is not set.

Update on Fri, November 2, 2012 by John DiNicola

Paul Thomas Anderson?  Writing might be on the wall.  Stay tuned later today.