Before Terminator Genisys opened, David Ellison’s Skydance Productions stated their intentions to create a Terminator Universe (inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe) that would include two sequels to Genisys and a tie-in TV series. But after Terminator Genisys took in only $89 million in North America, the future of the franchise is in doubt.
In China, Terminator Genisys has been a blockbuster that earned $112 million towards a global total of $440 million, but that still may not be enough to save the franchise. A new report in The Hollywood Reporter suggests that the Terminator sequels and the planned TV series are on indefinite hold with no plans to revive them.
Because Terminator Genisys had a budget of $150 million and a marketing budget that was likely equal to or greater than that, it reportedly lost money. And the fact that China gets to keep 75% of the film’s take in that country means that the producers and the studio only received $28 million from the $112 million total.
Even before Terminator Genisys, the Terminator franchise struggled for years. Terminator Salvation made less money worldwide than Genisys did and it too derailed potential sequel plans. The first Terminator TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles only lasted two seasons on Fox in the face of dwindling ratings.
Another wrinkle in this story is that the Terminator rights will revert to director James Cameron in 2019, and he doesn’t seem inclined to do anything with the franchise while he’s working on his Avatar sequels. Cameron was one of the biggest boosters of Terminator Genisys and audiences still failed to embrace the film.
There is always the chance that more Terminator films will eventually happen. But for now, its prospects are grimmer than a frontal assault on Skynet.
Terminator fans, what would you do to fix the franchise? Travel back in time to save it, of course, but first, leave a comment below!
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Image Credit: Paramount Pictures /Â Skydance Productions
