Next 'Terminator' Movie Up for Grabs

How does something like this happen, exactly? Variety reports that the Terminator franchise is not committed to any studio for future films. Seriously? With Terminator Salvation in theaters in a week, Warner Bros. is right now one of three studios fighting for the chance to release the next Terminator...but I wouldn't say it's likely. MGM actually has the inside track to wrest away the franchise thanks to the recent settlement between the studio and producers Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson from The Halcyon Company, stemming for the bankruptcy of Orion years and years ago. That gave MGM a play for Salvation, which it passed on, and then Kubicek and Anderson accused the studio of trying block deals with WB and Sony. As a result of those proceedings, here we are. This has been pretty well-played by MGM, which passed on Salvation before it seemed like such a sure thing. The upside for the fifth film, which will reunite McG and Christian Bale, is not nearly as hard to project. Variety also reports that in addition to picking up the Terminator franchise, MGM already has The Hobbit, James Bond, and the Robocop at their disposal, which, believe it or not, makes MGM a player again. The deal for the fifth Terminator movie is still a while away from being sewn up. MGM will have a 30-day right of refusal once a script and potential budget numbers are delivered by Halcyon, which probably won't be for quite a few months. The other two players at this stage are Warner Bros. and Sony, which paid a significant amount for international distribution rights to Salvation, but if that movie blows up like it should, it will be a hot property for nearly every studio in Hollywood.