"I'll be back."
Schwarzenegger's simple line from the original Terminator became synonymous with the franchise and permanently ingrained itself in the public lexicon. The phrase is impossible to utter in real life without slipping in to a Austrian accent.
The line also became Schwarzenegger's personal mantra, especially when it came to making movies. Few people expected Arnie to pick up a machine gun and shades for another round of robot-busting in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but that's what happened after his career began to downward spiral in the wake of Collateral Damage. Lesson: don't release a movie about terrorists within a year of 9/11.
Now Schwarzenegger faces the same problem again: roping in an audience that might not give a damn about his giant physique and limited acting range. How do you get them back on board?
"I'll be back."
A few days ago we heard that Schwarzenegger and Justin Lin were shopping around a pitch for Terminator 5, which would see the muscled hero return to the world of purposely stiff line-readings and plentiful gun fire. Details were scarce, but the project had a producer, Lin and Schwarzenegger all on board, with studios like Universal, Sony, Lionsgate, and CBS Films all interested.
Now, thanks to Latino Review, we know why they might be interested. Supposedly, Lin and Schwarzenegger have devised a premise, touted as Terminator 2012, that would take Mr. T-800 back to present day in a new timeline. The film would break continuity from Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation, functioning similarly to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. More importantly, Terminator 2012 would open the door for the "original cast" to return.
What does that mean? LR isn't exactly sure, but if they're pitching Terminator with an "original cast," you can bet your ass Linda Hamilton and perhaps the fan-favorite Michael Biehn are possibilities. If Edward Furlong isn't at jail when they shoot the thing, they can throw him in there too.
At first, this sounds like exactly what fans want: a Terminator with all the elements from back when we really cared about Terminator. Even with familiar faces, there may not be any stories left to tell in the universe of the franchise that don't feel forced in to the already-convoluted mythology. Any excitement may stem from pure nostalgia -- remember Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.
Terminator 5 is heating up whether we want it to or not, so if we have to get excited, at least watching Linda Hamilton blow some killer machines to smithereens has appeal. With the deal in forward motion and studios fighting over the property, expect a formal announcement of some kind at Comic-Con. It's just the place to start the hype machine (as long as Schwarzenegger doesn't have a heart attack in Hall H). "I'll be back."
If you say so.
