Fast Five won’t be released in North America until this coming Friday, but it’s already doing big business internationally, and director Justin Lin may already have another gig ahead of him, and that’s to revive the “Terminator” franchise with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to his most famous movie role. That’s the word according to Deadline who are reporting that Schwarzenegger has attached himself to a package being shopped to studios through the actor-turned-politician’s agency CAA.
There is no screenplay or writer at this time, but this is the first activity on the property since Pacificor picked up the rights to the franchise out of bankruptcy auction for $29.5 million, outbidding Lionsgate and Sony. Deadline is reporting that both companies and Universal are looking at the package, and that they would have to get another movie going by 2018 before the rights return to James Cameron. Any movies made that date would belong entirely to whomever finances them, and there are rumors that they are asking for $25 million upfront for the purchase price of $36 million, not including Schwarzenegger or Lin’s fees.
If this project does indeed get off the ground, it would be the first new “Terminator” movie since McG’s 2009 movie Terminator Salvation starring Sam Worthington and Christian Bale, which grossed $371 million worldwide based on a reported production budget of $200 million.
