T-Leaves

Charlie's Angels helmer McG recently spoke with both iF Magazine and The213.Net at the Warner Bros. Home Video 85th Anniversary celebration about his intentions for the fourth installment in the Terminator franchise revealing some intriguing tid-bits in the process...

The relevant quotes come from Dark Horizons...

"[We're] prepping the picture right now. The script is largely done, whether or not we're able to prep off of it, obviously we want to continue to work on it, punch it up and we're hoping for an expedient finish to the writer's strike. But I've got my fingers crossed that in a week or two it will be over."

Addressing the question of tone:

"It's very much in keeping what the studio has done with Batman. We're respectful of the first pictures in creating a new language, while honoring the mythology, and I felt it would be a great time to play upon some of the [Isaac] Asimov ideas, some of the Philip K. Dick ideas. It felt like a good time to tell a story about humanity and what it means to make us all human."

He confirms Christian Bale playing John Connor, and hinted that Josh Brolin might be in the running to play the film's Terminator cyborg

"It's a decidedly masculine role and we live in a time, where a lot of actors are very effeminate and there's a masculine component to the role and there are guys out there like Russell Crowe and Eric Bana who bring a good physicality and do what they do, but I don't know if they're exactly right at the end of the day. Josh Brolin is a very exciting actor, so we'll see."

The action takes place in 2019, post-Judgment Day, but concedes that "there are indeed some time line issues" with respect to the continuity established by both the films and current television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles-"We're going to what we can to respect the mythology" he stated.

Lastly, will there be an appearance by the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) or the T-1000 (played in humanoid form by Robert Patrick) from "T2"...

"There will be a suggestion of the liquid metal development and a suggestion of the T-800 development. It's going to be a tip of the hat. We're undecided if there's going to be an actual appearance."

I have been impressed by the quality of the TV series thus far...and how the producers have been able to navigate through the continuity of the films. As long as McG and Co. HONOR what's come before--straying off the "established path" even a bit will be easier to take...

I am not sure how I feel about using theories and plot devices of Dick and Asimov...I hope that the script for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is not too bogged down by tech speak...

As to the possible casting of Brolin as the big T....Interesting is the only word that comes to mind for now...