Paramount Sets Dates To Wrap-Up Their New TERMINATOR Trilogy, Sequels Coming 2017 And 2018

Paramount has lined-up the next two installments for their Terminator trilogy, and are planing to put them into production very soon. Terminator 6 will be released on May 19th, 2017 and Terminator 7 will drop on June 29th, 2018. These dates are just markers for the studio, we've seen dates change all the time. However, this proves how serious Paramount is about finishing-up this trilogy.

The film rights to the Terminator franchise actually will expire in a couple of years. Once that time has been reached, they revert back to creator James Cameron. He's said once the rights return to him, he'll be axing the whole thing. I don't doubt this considering Cameron has zero plans currently to pursue more films, and is said to be focusing all his energy on multiple Avatar sequels (perhaps Battle Angel: Alita too). Paramount have a bit of a ticking-clock and have to grind-out these films before they can't make them anymore. Not the best situation for creativity, but let's see how Terminator: Genesys turns-out first.

Previous rumblings included that John Connor and the machines would actually have entire armies time travel, and have an epic battle across time. I assume these battles would be explored in the two sequels. We have no idea if Paramount is going to pursue this original intent for the trilogy, but the studio has seemingly gone-through with committing to three films, in a very short period of time.

It's assumed that Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be returning for the sequels. The fate of director Alan Taylor is a little less known, since he could move-on to other projects or asked to return for Thor 3 (very unlikely).

SOURCE: DEADLINE

TERMINATOR: GENESIS Set Images With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney And Jason Clarke

Production has been underway for a few weeks on Alan Taylor's Terminator: Genesis. A few set photos have been making their way online thanks to outlets like JustJared and DailyMail. We get our first glimpses of Arnold Schwarzenegger as an aged T-800 model terminator. Along with Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke. There is also a photo from a shootout scene with Emilia and Jai's stunt-doubles.

Byung-Hun Lee And Others Roundout The TERMINATOR: GENESIS Cast

THR reports the rest of the Terminator: Genesis cast has been hired. They include Korean actor Byung-Hun Lee (G.I. Joe 1-2, I Saw The Devil, Red 2), J.K. Simmons (Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Oz, Spider-Man 1-3), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards) and Michael Galdis (Mad Men). Most of their roles aren't being revealed, but Simmons will play a cop.

Production is about to begin with Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Jason Clarke (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, Zero Dark Thirty), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dayo Okeniyi (Hunger Games) and Jai Courtney (A Good Day To Die Hard, Jack Reacher) in lead roles. It's release date is set for July 1st, 2015.


SOURCE: THR

HUNGER GAMES Actor Dayo Okeniyi Takes Final TERMINATOR: GENESIS Lead Role

Variety reports that Hunger Games actor Dayo Okeniyi has landed a lead role in Terminator: Genesis. He'll play Danny Dyson, the son of Skynet key-creator Miles Dyson (last seen in Terminator 2). As a boy Danny was exposed to The Connors and the terminator, when Sarah went rogue and tried to assassinate his father. Miles went-on to help destroy his work and sacrificed his life. I assume that Danny's role will be action-focused.

Dayo apparently was up against John Boyega (Attack The Block) for the part. It's unknown if John's rumored participation with Star Wars: Episode VII casting had anything to do with not landing the role.


SOURCE: VARIETY

Paramount Hires Jai Courtney Over Rising-Star Boyd Holbrook For Kyle Reese In TERMINATOR: GENESIS

Paramount has finally chosen it's Kyle Reese for Alan Taylor's Terminator: Genesis, and it's not the person we wanted or expected. They've decided on Jai Courtney, the Aussie actor best known for tripe like A Good Day To Die Hard and I, Frankenstein. I get the impression Jai's casting in the film came down to the studio being cheap, or finding a "face" at least known to the general audience. I'm sure his previous work on Skydance/Paramount's Jack Reacher didn't hurt his chances.

Boyd Holbrook had been kicking around the project for ages, and seemingly looked like the front-runner for a couple of roles. Holbrook has an impressive acting background which includes an untitled Terrence Malick film (co-starring with Natalie Portman, Cate Blachett, Christian Bale, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Ryan Gosling), Milk, Out of The Furnace, Behind The Candelabra, The Skeleton Twins, Jane Got A Gun, David Fincher's Gone Girl and Little Accidents. His credits are more than you'd expect for someone trying to land a lead in a Terminator reboot, I'm actually very shocked Paramount went with Courtney. Holbrook is poised to become a big name, and Paramount really missed out on a opportunity here.

The more I hear about the "what-if" aspects of this project, it really upsets me. Producer Megan Ellison's company Annapurna Pictures exited the project (she's taking an executive producer credit instead). Her production company's involvement was a major reason a lot of people were interested in the reboot in the first place. Also, alarm bells should be ringing as Megan is responsible for a great deal of awards caliber films such as Her, The Master, True Grit, American Hustle, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher and Lawless. If she left, there must have been a quality issue and Megan wanted to distance herself from it. Odd, since she spent $20 million to secure the rights in the first place.

David Ellison's Skydance Productions will instead be handling 2/3 of the production costs instead, with Paramount shelling out the rest. The people responsible for Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher and Star Trek/Star Trek Into Darkness. Last time I checked, the Terminator movies weren't a bunch of generic/forgettable action action films. At least the first two weren't, as the studio and director Alan Taylor are giving lip-service to honoring those movies with this new trilogy.

To add more fuel to the fire. Paramount has been hiring actors with "recognizable faces", rather than impressive bodies of work. Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones) and Jason Clarke (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes) are fine and all, but the studio had the chance to hire Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Locke,Warrior, The Drop, Child 44) and Brie Larson (Rampart, Don Jon, Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now) as the Connors. Having an actor like Hardy involved would have given the project a lot more attention and curiosity (something he did with Mad Max). Losing Boyd as well, is more than a little disappointing. Even as a fan, I'm not sure I see this going very well if the studio is turning away talent like this.

SOURCE: THR

Kyle Reese Role In TERMINATOR: GENESIS Down To Jai Courtney And Boyd Holbrook

We have our Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and John Connor (Jason Clarke), along with the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger. There is still another major role to fill in Terminator: Genesis, and that would be John's baby daddy Kyle Reese. Deadline reports that the two actors still in the mix for the role are Aussie Jai Courtney (Jack Reacher, A Good Day To Die Hard) and Boyd Holbrook.

Boyd has been sticking around like glue to the project, he was one of the first names linked and has stuck around throughout the entire casting process. If I had to bet money, I'd say that Holbrook ends up landing the role. It's expected that all the actors will have to commit to a three picture deal, as Genesis is the first in a new trilogy. Courtney could be called up for Die Hard 6 or even Divergent sequels (I have no clue about that franchise or his character).


SOURCE: DEADLINE

Jai Courtney Among Five Candidates Testing For Kyle Reese In TERMINATOR: GENESIS

Variety is reporting that Terminator: Genesis is still looking for it's new Kyle Reese. Australian actor Jai Courtney (Jack Reacher, A Good Day To Die Hard, Spartacus) is leading a group of five candidates that have tested for Reese. The list of lesser known actors includes Boyd Holbrook, Tom Cocquerel, Wilson Bethel and Sam Reid. Boyd had been previously linked for the role of John Connor. The main roles are expected to be apart of a new Termintor trilogy, starting with Genesis. Courtney's previous working relationship with Skydance Pictures on Jack Reacher could make him the front-runner of the group.

The group apparently went in for screen tests on Monday, which could mean an announcement on the outcome might be released very soon. These new names could mean Taylor Kistch (Lone Survivor, Battleship, John Carter, Savages) and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max Fury Road, X-Men Days of Future Past) are now out of the running to play Reese.

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Jason Clarke (Lawless, Public Enemies, Zero Dark Thirty) and Arnold Schawarznegger have been confirmed for roles in the fifth installment. Emilia is the new Sarah Connor and Jason is the older John Connor. Arnold's role has yet to be revealed, but is rumored to be playing a new human character. Games of Thrones showrunner and director Alan Taylor will be helming the film. Genesis will be a follow up to Alan's massively successful feature directorial debut Thor: The Dark World, which has earned $632 million globally.

ActingAuditions has confirmed that production begins in April, and will shoot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area has become a hot-spot for big action productions, which will also see Jurassic World shoot there as well. Terminator: Genesis has a release date set for July 1st, 2015.



SOURCE: VARIETY 

Emilia Clarke And Brie Larson Still Front-Runners For Sarah Connor In TERMINATOR 5

Deadline is reporting that actresses Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim, 21 Jump Street) have tested for Terminator 5. They were previously linked with actresses Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street), in the mix for the role of Sarah Connor. This update sounds like the pair are close to landing the lead role. While Tatiana and Margot aren't mentioned (lack of information on them?). Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World) is attached to direct with a release date of June 1st,  2015.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to return for the film in an unnamed role (possibly human). According to other sources Tom Hardy (Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dark Knight Rises), Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy, On The Road), and Boyd Holbrook (The Host) are being looked at for John Connor. Also, Taylor Kitsch (Savages, John Carter) and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past) have tested for the role of Kyle Reese.

SOURCE: Deadline 

Director Alan Taylor In Talks To Helm TERMINATOR Reboot

Variety reports that Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World) is in talks to direct The Terminator reboot. The film is expected to be a the first installment in a new standalone trilogy within the Terminator universe. Producers recently announced Avatar screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) would co-write the script with Patrick Lussier. Arnold Schwarzenegger has mentioned having a role in the reboot with rumors Dwayne Johnson is being looked at to play the new Terminator.

First Teaser Poster For THOR THE DARK WORLD, Trailer Coming Next Week

Behind The Scenes Images From THOR THE DARK WORLD Reveal Jane In Asgard And A Ship Crashing Into The Throne Room

Empire Reveals New Images From THE WOLVERINE, KICK-ASS 2 And THOR: THE DARK WORLD

SOURCE [CBM]

CAPTAIN AMERICA Writers Christopher Markus And Stephen McFeely Did Rewrites On THOR 2 Script, Plus Jaimie Alexander Comments On The Film

I must have missed this news but apparently Marvel Studios hired a few more writers to tackle rewrites on the script for Thor: The Dark World. Originally, it had been reported that Don Payne's (Thor, Simpsons) outline for the sequel was being reworked by Oscar nominated screewnwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot). There is word that Marvel has hired some of their own in-house talent to work on the film. It's possible that Robert Rodat's work might have been excluded from the film entirely.


Christopher Yost who is best known for writing Marvel animated shows including Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Wolverine And The X-Men was brought on to work on the script. Not to mention the studio also hired Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus (Captain America: The First Avenger, Pain And Gain) to add some magic. It's unknown who did what but it sounds like the scale of the film could have been increased since McFeely and Markus seem to write big action set-pieces. A key element that was missing in the first Thor film. The screenwriting pair also recently completed the Captain America sequel Winter Soldier which is about to begin production in March.

Actress Jaimie Alexander who plays Sif in the Thor franchise is currently on a press tour for her upcoming film The Last Stand which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an interview with IAmRouge she revealed a bit info on The Dark World, giving the impression the film is bigger (more realms being explored) and her character will be given more development (possible love triangle?). Jaimie also briefly comments on director Alan Taylor, new writers and the addition of Zachary Levi as Fandral. [IAmRogue]

“I just finished shooting about a week and a half ago. There's going to be a bit of a darker feel and obviously a lot more action. We get to explore different realms a lot more and you see a lot more Asgard; and you get to know the people of Asgard. There is more [character development] with Sif. We sort of explore the Thor-Sif relationship a little bit; kind of [in a romantic way]. It's more like getting a feel of who these people are, how the way they are with each other. It was really fun for me and Chris. Him and I are almost like brother and sister too, so I was like maybe that translates into 'ohh they love each other on camera.' We had a good time making that movie.” 

“That was hard at first [returning with a new director] because I didn't know what to expect. I love Kenneth Branagh very much He was a huge staple in my life because he launched my career. I gotta say, however, it is always great working with new people. Alan Taylor has brought a whole new vision to Thor. We've remained our own characters obviously, so there's still that similarity between the first and second one. But there's a darker feel to this one; a little more Gladiator-ish, a bit more viking-ish. So I'm really excited to see how it turns out.”

 “The script did [feel more rooted in the comic book stuff]. I could read certain scenes and actually see how someone would do the drawings on the page. With that sense, Marvel was great; they said 'make it your own.' We just have a great team. I have been very lucky in my career. It was slightly different [with Zachary Levi coming in], because he's not Josh Dallas, but he's fantastic. And I've know Zach for years. He was actually one of the first choices for Fandral, so it's great to have him on board. He's definitely Fandral, and he's such a lovely guy, team player and really sweet. Everybody welcomed him with open arms and he's definitely a part of the family.” 

Updated Asgardian Einherjar Costume From THOR: THE DARK WORLD

SPOILER SPECULATION: Armies Of Surtur And Hela Fighting In THOR 2?

During the speculation of who will be the villains of Thor: The Dark World classic names such as Malekith, Sutur and Ulik The Rock Troll. Dark elves Malekith and Kurse/Algrim being the confirmed villains of the film, it had been originally assumed they would be it. Recent rumors point that the all the realms will be explored including the addition of Surtur and Hela. However, the title The Dark World seemingly gives the impression could feature more villainous creatures from other realms.

Over the summer/fall set photos of the film had been rolling out with images of Thor, Sif and Fandral fighting a group of marauders and creatures. Everyone had assumed these were dark elves. However, with the new look at Malekith's (Eccelson) face we have an idea of what the elves will look like. They look slightly more human than the creatures from set photos along with different costumes. So who are these creatures, Surtur's army, rock trolls or possibly the undead?

My belief is that they may end up being apart of Surtur's army. A report from a Russian site stated that all nine realms were going to be used in Dark World. Disney apparently showed a bunch of concept artwork for the film at Cinema Expo 2012. They had the eternal flame (a relic of Surtur's) in Odin's Vault which could be the next cosmic object of interest. ScreenRant also picked up on a casting-call that had Marvel looking for extras to fill the roles of "men of fire". The creatures look sort of orc-ish so it's not hard to imagine that this is Surtur's army that invades Asgard. Seeing an invasion on three fronts Asgard (Surtur), Midgard (Malekith) and Valhalla (Hela).

 Another possibility could be villainess Hela. Actress Alison Krige best known as Star Trek's Borg Queen had confirmed an unnamed role in the sequel. Many had assumed it would be the dark elf Queen but another option could be Hela. The villain wants to rule more than just the realm of Hel and invades Valhalla the realm of fallen heroes. She's originally the daughter of Loki but she might be changed to mother to fit the films better. If you look closely at Hela's army from recent comics they sort of look like the group of baddies facing off with Thor. There had been rumors that Fandral will be killed off and this aspect would give reason for the group to travel to Valhalla to perhaps bring him back. During this resurrection rescue Hela could be pushing for a full scale invasion of the realm.

FIRST LOOK: Malekith And Dark Elves On London Set Of THOR THE DARK WORLD

Clive Russell Is Tyr In THOR 2

Deadline reports that Thor: The Dark World will have two decent additions to it's cast. First up is Clive Russell (Game of Thrones, Sherlock Holmes, Wolfman) in the role of Tyr. The god of war is the former hero of Asgard and the legitimate brother of Thor who very well might rebel against his war. Which might explain the group of wild looking Asgardians fighting alongside what could be dark elves in set photos. Also, Richard Blake (Batman Begins, Outpost, Doom) will have a role in the film as well playing a captain of the Einherjar, a warrior team that fought alongside Thor in battle.

RUMOR: Viggo Mortensen Wanted For Doctor Strange In THOR: THE DARK WORLD?

ScreenRant (via ThePlaylist) has the idea that the role Marvel wants Viggo Mortensen (Lord of The Rings, Eastern Promises) for is actually Dr. Stephen Strange. It's been reported by different sources including ThePlaylist that Strange would be Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) colleague in Thor: The Dark World. Strange ends up becoming an important supporting character in the film. Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thiry) has also been linked for the role. The Thor sequel is about to begin production so this news will likely be confirmed sooner rather than later.

The rest of the cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccelson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson and Zachary Levi. Alan Taylor of Game of Thrones is directing a script from Don Payne and Robert Rodat with a release date of November 8th 2013.

Strange would be an important piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe puzzle. Since he'd get his own film which already has a script in place and could join the Avengers in it's sequel. Marvel has previously introduced characters in a similar manner so it's very likely this is happening. During the release of Thor in Odin's vault The Eye of Agamotto was spotted. The relic is linked to Strange and is yet another tidbit fuelling this rumor.

CAST EM': Five Actors For DOCTOR STRANGE

Rumors of Marvel introducing audiences to Dr. Stephen Strange in Thor: The Dark World have been coming from a couple of different sources. Not to mention Orb of Agamotto showing up in Odin's vault has seemingly given enough evidence to believe this might be happening. The orb is scrying crystal ball used by Doctor Strange for clairvoyance. It has been known to open gateways between dimensions. It seems like an excellent way to raise the awareness of the character before moving forward with his solo adventure. Another reason why Guardians of The Galaxy was chosen over Strange and Black Panther. Considering that the Strange film also has a script completed and had been going out to directors last November. A couple of names that have been linked to play Strange include Johnny Depp and out of the running Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty).  I've put together a decent enough list of candidates that Marvel should at least consider.

JOHNNY DEPP: Depp has long been linked for the movie along with Guillermo del Toro as it's director. He has the fifth Pirates of The Caribbean film in development and a possible sequel to The Lone Ranger. It could be an easy payday for the actor but it wouldn't make sense to see Depp in the role as he might steal Thor's thunder.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Ben has been long rumored to be in talks with Marvel Studios for a role. That has been mentioned more than once and has since led him to visit the offices while promoting  Sherlock. A few things might hold him back from taking the gig which includes the third Sherlock series, work on The Hobbit/Stark Trek Into The Darkness and commitments to the George Smiley (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) sequels.

KARL URBAN: Best known for supporting roles in The Lord of The Rings and Stark Trek franchises. He's also taken on action roles in Bourne Supremecy and more recently with Dredd. The Kiwi actor seems like a perfect match if they're going to make the series more of an adventure thriller. While there have been positive reviews for Dredd, Karl hasn't found a franchise he could end up holding up himself. The only thing that could stop him is commitments to Star Trek 3 and a Dredd sequel.

KIT HARINGTON: If it does turn out to be true that Strange will be working alongside Jane Foster it could be interesting to see him develop a love interest with Darcy (Kat Dennings) during The Dark World. Kit Harington seems perfect if Marvel is aiming for a younger take on the character. He has a history with director Alan Taylor working with him on Game of Thrones. The only issue here is his commitments to the series and his other films' promotional tours. Marvel could have their next Chris Evans/Chris Hemsworth if they ended up going someone like Kit.

VIGGO MORTENSEN: It's rumored currently that Marvel is in talks with Viggo Mortensen (Lord of The Rings, History of Violence, Eastern Promises) for a Phase Two film. ScreenRant has already speculated it could be Dr. Strange for Thor: The Dark World. If this is true it would a triumphant casting choice since Viggo could be as big as landing Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. previously. Not to mention he has been turning down blockbusters left and right lately (Man of Steel, SWATH, Dark Tower), so wrangling him would be quite the feat. Mortensen is an actor who chooses projects based on their director. If they're able to actually sign-on Guillermo del Toro (was attached to direct at one point) or another high-profiled director, it could be enough to get him to sign on.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Joins THOR: THE DARK WORLD Will Play Algrim The Strong

Variety has announced that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Oz, Lost, Bourne Identity) has finally landed a Marvel role as he's joined the cast of Thor: The Dark World. Adewale will play dark elf Algrim The Strong better known as Kurse. The character works with and wants to kill Malekith The Accursed, the villain of the film played by Christopher Eccleston. It's a solid sounding confirmation that the dark elves will likely be the only villains of the sequel with Loki on the sidelines. Previously, Adewale had been campaigning for the role of Black Panther.