Warner Bros Splits ‘Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins’ Rights With Sony

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has acquired the international distribution rights to Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, the upcoming next installment of a planned new trilogy featuring Christian Bale (John Connor) and Sam Worthington (new character Marcus) with McG as director.The Hollywood Reporter says that the deal inked with the film’s producers, Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson of the Halcyon Co., hands Sony’s worldwide acquisitions group arm all foreign distribution rights except for Korea and some Middle East countries. Warner Bros. is handling U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for the film, set to bow in first-half 2009. Production is scheduled to begin in the spring in New Mexico.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins will hit theaters May 22, 2009.

Sam Worthington cast in ‘Terminator’

Sam Worthington has been cast in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.

The 31-year-old will play Marcus, a survivor of a nuclear holocaust caused by the self-aware computer network system Skynet.

Worthington’s role will reportedly span three films as he becomes a central figure in the human fight against Skynet.

Christian Bale has already been cast as John Connor, the leader of the resistance. The role has previously been played by Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl on film and Thomas Dekker in TV series The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Terminator Salvation director McG was recommended Worthington by James Cameron, the director of the first two franchise instalments.

Worthington will next be seen playing a paraplegic war veteran in Cameron’s Avatar, which is scheduled for a Christmas release next year.

Josh Brolin New Terminator?

The rumor is that Josh Brolin may be in consideration for the role of the Terminator in the upcoming ‘Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins’. While talking with 213, director McG revealed that he’s interested in Brolin for the role:

…there’s guys out there like Russell Crowe and Eric Bana, bring a good physicality, they do what they do, but I don’t know if they’re exactly right at the end of the day. (Smiles) Josh Brolin is a very exciting actor - we’ll see…

It’s fun to see how Brolin’s career has been re-energized over the last year. I mean, for years it looked like the best movie Brolin would ever make would be ‘The Goonies’ but then he goes and turns in a couple of career-salvaging performances in ‘American Gangster’ and ‘No Country For Old Men’ and all of a sudden his name is attached to a number of high profile movies. Nicely done.

Of course, whether or not this rumor is fake, only time will tell. Christian Bale is attached to star in the movie playing the role of John Connor.