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People Say I Should Forget: Why the Terminator Reboot Is a Good Idea and Cast Suggestions

By Cindy Davis | Lists | July 1, 2013 |

By Cindy Davis | Lists | July 1, 2013 |


This past week Paramount Pictures along with partners, Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures announced the upcoming Terminator 5 film will be the first in a three part series reboot (again). While usually I’d tend against do-overs, this idea excites me; at least, the possibilities do. Here’s why:


1. Terminator Is a Series That by Its Very Nature Is Ripe to Be Revisited Again and Again.

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Robots/androids and cybernetics in general have always been fascinating (and terrifying)—both in fiction and as we have progressed, in reality. Our real-world advances are catching up to fiction and presumably, one day will surpass things previously only dreamed; by its very nature this technology is compelled to keep evolving, and so should these films. One would think we’d take heed and maybe be a little more careful than those we’ve read about or seen in movies and television, but it looks like we’re hell bent on our own destruction by artificial intelligence. So why not look at the bright side—eat popcorn and check out all the angles of how it might go down? Zombie apocalypse? No worries at all, mates…artificial intelligence is coming.

2. We Need to Wipe Terminator: Salvation from Our Minds.

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McG’s horrifically bad foray into the franchise is the last taste of Terminator we had, and by golly we need something to cleanse our poor palates. Christian Bale was shockingly awful with his boring and breathy version of John Connor; in fact, everything was awful except Anton Yelchin and maybe the mute kid. A Terminator with heart? You’ve got to be effing kidding me.


3. The First of the New Series May Predate Sarah Connor and Chart New Ground.

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Information has been all over the place and this news may not be reliable: there have been reports that Terminator 5 will be a prequel revolving around Sarah’s parents, set in the 1940s or 50s. It has also been reported (but not confirmed) that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is being considered for a (mechanical) role. Note that the same source claims Arnold Schwarzenegger may be playing a heroic human (upon whose physicality his later Terminator is based), however Ahnuld himself says he’s a Terminator. In summary, this could all be bogus, but I do like the prequel idea, and even the notion that the former Guvner’s character was based on a good guy.

4. Casting Ideas for Sarah Connor’s Parents.

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If the plot ideas above are true, these two…in 40s garb—can you imagine? Yes, they’re a wee bit older than they should be: If Sarah was born in 1964-65, her parents would likely have been in their twenties during the specified timeframe. But, you know…movie magic!

If they truly are too old—and they probably are—let’s go, say…

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5. Garret Dillahunt Must Play a Terminator.

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Fans of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will immediately know why; if you’ve never watched the series, it’s so worth a marathon (anybody with me on kickstarting a movie?). Dillahunt’s Cromartie aka John Henry was too brilliant to leave languishing in the black hole that was left by the series’ premature cancellation.

6. Top Three John Connor Candidates:

Even if the focus is on his parents JC has to show up at some point, whether it be within the mainframe of Terminator 5, or at the end—as the jump-off for Terminator 6. Here are three fine young cannibals actors I’d like to see eff with Skynet’s nefarious plans.


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Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Another Happy Day)


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Dane Dehaan (Kill Your Darlings, Lawless, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, “True Blood, In Treatment”)


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Nicholas Hoult (Jack the Giant Slayer, Warm Bodies, X-Men: First Class, “Skins, Wallander”)

7. A Director We Could Trust to Give Substance Priority Over Effects.

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Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) has made science fiction his homebase and with only one feature film and a few trailers, has easily earned our confidence. Bonus skill: He writes great scripts and could bring along Sharlto Copley.


Terminator 5 is scheduled to be released June 26, 2015.


Cindy Davis, (Twitter) has magnets at the ready.