This weekend sees the release of The Last Stand, a movie that features Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first starring role since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003. But it's far from a one and done situation with the action legend - he is making a full comeback. Beyond this weekend's entertainment he also has the prison thriller The Tomb out later this year and he recently completed production on David Ayer's Ten. But with Schwarzenegger's return to Hollywood also comes the return of his biggest franchises, and now one of them has taken a big step forward.
Deadline has learned that Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier have been hired as screenwriters to pen a new Terminator movie. While the two haven't shared a writing credit before, they both have plenty of Hollywood experience, with Kalogridis' previous titles including Shutter Island, Pathfinder and Alexander (she was also an executive producer on James Cameron's Avatar, giving her a connection to the Terminator franchise creator), while Lussier is known for writing (and directing) Drive Angry. The project is currently set up as a co-production between Skydance and Annapurna Pictures. The site notes that David Ellison at Skydance recently hired both writers to work on an original sci-fi script with his studio, which is what likely led to them getting the Terminator gig (David Ellison's sister Megan Ellison owns Annapurna, which has the rights to the franchise).
What's not mentioned in the new report is the status of the empty directing chair. In the earliest stages of the project it was said that Fast Five filmmaker Justin Lin was going to direct the latest Terminator movie, but when the project got delayed due to Schwarzenegger's personal affairs he was forced to back out (though he left the door open for his possible return). We'll likely be hearing a lot more about this film in the coming months, so stay tuned!
