.gif)
Terminator (franchise)
Encyclopedia
The Terminator series is a science fiction
franchise
encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet
's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor
's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race
.
Skynet's most well-known products in its genocidal goals are the various terminator models
, such as the original "Terminator" character, portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger
in the first film. Schwarzenegger also portrayed other Terminator characters; however, it is made clear that these are different units. The latest film in the franchise is Terminator Salvation
, released over Memorial Day
weekend, 2009.
and the self-aware artificial intelligence
that is Skynet
. Skynet is positioned in the first film as a US defense computer system by Cyberdyne Systems which becomes self-aware and, on perceiving all humans as a threat, seeks to wipe out humanity itself. It initiates a nuclear first strike
against Russia, ensuring a devastating counter strike and a nuclear holocaust
, wiping out much of humanity instantly. In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, Skynet builds up its own autonomous machine-based military capability, which includes the Terminators
used against individual human targets, and proceeds to fight a war against the surviving elements of humanity, some of whom have organized militarily into the Resistance. At some point in this future, Skynet develops the ability of time travel
, and both it and the Resistance seek to use it to win the war by preventing or forestalling their present timeline.
. Due to the element of time travel and the consequent ability to change the future, several dates are given for Judgment Day during the franchise. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day
, Sarah states that Judgment Day will occur on August 29, 1997. However, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
shows that the Judgment Day holocaust has been postponed to July 25, 2004. In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the day of judgment was delayed to April 21, 2011, due to the attack on Cyberdyne Systems in T2.
The passing of the final date for Judgment Day of April 21, 2011 prompted BBC News
to pose the question, "How close were the Terminator films to the reality of 2011?", comparing how far present day technology and society had developed compared to the predictions of the franchise.
released by Orion Pictures
, co-written and directed by James Cameron
and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Linda Hamilton
, and Michael Biehn
. It is the first work in the Terminator franchise. In the film, machines take over the world in the near future, directed by the artificial intelligence Skynet. With its sole mission to completely annihilate humanity, it develops cyborg assassins called Terminators
that outwardly appear human. A man named John Connor starts the Tech-Com resistance to defeat them and free humanity. With a human victory imminent, the machines' only choice is to send a Terminator back in time to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor
, before he is born, preventing the resistance from ever being founded. With the fate of humanity at stake, John sends soldier Kyle Reese
back to protect his mother and ensure his own existence.
to the original Terminator film released by TriStar Pictures
. It is co-written, directed, and produced by James Cameron
and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Linda Hamilton
, Edward Furlong
, and Robert Patrick
. After the machines failed to prevent John Connor from being born, they try again in 1995, this time attempting to kill him as a child with a more advanced terminator, the T-1000
. As before, John sends back a protector for his younger self, a reprogrammed Terminator, identical to the one from the previous film. After eleven years of preparing for the future war, Sarah decides to use the same tactics the machines used on her: prevent Skynet from being invented by destroying Cyberdyne Systems before they create it.
domestically and Columbia Pictures
internationally, directed by Jonathan Mostow
and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Nick Stahl
, Claire Danes
, and Kristanna Loken
. As a result of the destruction of Cyberdyne at the end of T2, the Skynet takeover has been postponed, not averted. In a last attempt to ensure a victory by the machines, a new terminator, the T-X
, is sent back to kill as many of John Connor's future lieutenants as possible, including John Connor and his future wife Kate. After the future Connor is terminated by a version of his previous protector, Kate reprograms it and sends it back to save them both from the T-X.
, Jonathan Nolan
, and Anthony E. Zuiker
, directed by McG
, and stars Christian Bale
as John Connor
. After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, John struggles to become the leader, but in this future, Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington
, who was personally recommended by James Cameron
) has somehow altered it, and the T-800
(Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Roland Kickinger
) is coming online sooner than expected. The film also centers on Kyle Reese
(Anton Yelchin
) and how he became the man he was in the first film.
filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. While some anonymous sources insist that Terminator 5 will be moving forward, the majority of analysts predict that its future is in jeopardy. In late September 2009, it was announced that the rights for the franchise are once again up for sale as the Halcyon Company tries to pull itself out of bankruptcy.
In late October 2009, Halcyon announced it would auction off the rights to future Terminator material and is seeking $60–70 million, though the only offer was made by director Joss Whedon
for $10,000. In December 2009, Halcyon issued a statement saying that they are looking at various options including sale and refinancing of the rights with an announcement on the outcome no later than February 1, 2010.
On February 8, 2010, an auction was held to determine the owner of the Terminator rights. After studios Sony and Lionsgate bid separately from 3 PM to 8 PM, Pacificor, the hedge fund that pushed Halcyon into bankruptcy
, made a deal for $29.5 million. As of June 2010, Pacificor has hired an agency to sell off the rights to the franchise.
In August 2010 it was reported that a new Terminator film is being developed. The new film would not be a direct sequel to Salvation, but rather an animated reboot of the original series. It will be entitled Terminator 3000 and will be shot by Hannover House
. However, Pacificor, the owner of the rights to the Terminator franchise, has not given any official license to Hannover House
to develop a new movie. The company posted a warning to Hannover:
On February 16, 2011 it was announced that Universal
was considering a fifth Terminator film with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the star and with Fast Fives Justin Lin
directing along with Chris Morgan
as the screenwriter. Discussions for the film are in the very early stages. On April 27, 2011 it was announced that a rights package to a Terminator movie, to which Schwarzenegger, Lin, and producer Robert W. Cort are attached, but no screenwriter, is circulating among the studios. Universal, Sony and Lionsgate, and CBS Films
are some of the interested companies. According to sources close to Schwarzenegger, he will only commit fully if a good script can be created.
It was reported on May 13, 2011, that Megan Ellison and her production company Annapurna Films won the rights to make at least two more Terminator films, including Terminator 5, in an auction deal that is rumoured to have hit the $20 million mark. While actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
is said to be up for a substantial role, the film will not be anchored by him. Instead a young male actor will take the lead.
as Sarah Connor and Thomas Dekker
as John Connor. The series, created by Josh Friedman
, centers on Sarah and John after Terminator 2
as they try to "live under the radar" after the explosion at Cyberdyne. Summer Glau
plays a Terminator protecting the Connors. Executive producer James Middleton confirmed in Variety that the series would contain a link to Terminator Salvation; however, McG later clarified in an interview that show creator Josh Friedman "was the first to jump on and say we can't chase their story threads."
Uncredited. Schwarzenegger's facial likeness was utilized via CGI
, with a mold of his face made in 1984 scanned to create the digital makeup. Biehn reprised his role in a cameo appearance. The scene was cut from the theatrical release, but was restored in the Special Edition of the film.
and is also in the top 25 grossing franchises of all time. According to Rotten Tomatoes
, the Terminator franchise is the sixth highest rated franchise on the site behind the Toy Story franchise
, the Dollars trilogy
, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
, the Mad Max franchise
, and the Star Wars trilogy, but in front of the Indiana Jones franchise.
The Terminator
has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress
as being "Culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The American Film Institute (AFI) has also recognized both films on a number of occasions: the line "I'll be back
" from The Terminator placed as the 37th best movie quote of all time, while "Hasta la vista, baby" from Part 2 ranked 76th on the same list. The Terminator character from The Terminator was voted the 22nd villain of all time; meanwhile, the T-800 (of the same likeness) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day was voted the 48th hero of all time on the 100 Heroes and Villains list; this is the only time the same character has appeared thusly on the two opposing lists. In the 100 Years...100 series list, the Terminator franchise was voted the 42nd most thrilling of all time. Finally, Terminator 2: Judgment Day ranked 8th on AFI's top 10 list in the science fiction
genre.
Both films were subject to numerous pop culture references, such as the use of “I’ll be back” in countless other media, including Arnold himself in The Running Man
, to several cameo appearances by Robert Patrick
as the T-1000, in The Last Action Hero and Wayne's World
. The Simpsons
have also spoofed both films, and the T-1000 in particular, on a number of occasions.
In terms of critical reception, the first two films also stand out. Terminator 2 is thus far the only film in the series to garner attention of the Academy Award (6 nominations and 4 wins). In addition to being rated highly among top critics, Total Film
has rated The Terminator the 72nd best film ever made, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day the 33rd. Both films are consistently featured on IMDb’s Top 250 list.
All four Terminator films have had very respectable box office gross, though after James Cameron left the series it saw diminishing returns
in subsequent films. The Terminator made $78 million worldwide, far surpassing its $6 million budget and becoming a major sleeper hit
. Terminator 2: Judgment Day grossed approximately $520 million globally, becoming a major blockbuster and the top-grossing film of 1991. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did not fare as well, with $433 million, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2003. Terminator Salvation grossed an estimated $371 million worldwide, a figure below industry expectations and the lowest of any of the sequels in the series.
The series premiere in the United States was watched by 18.6 million viewers during its premiere timeslot on January 13, 2008.
The pilot episode received a rating of 11.1 from Nielsen Media Research
on January 13, 2008. The mainstream press reviews were generally positive. USA Today
gave the premiere episode 3 and a half stars out of four, calling the series, "smart, tough and entertaining." The New York Times
referred to it as "one of the more humanizing adventures in science fiction to arrive in quite a while", while the Los Angeles Times
declared the show "has heart and feeling" and "an almost Shakespearean exploration of fate vs. character" that features "plenty of really great fight scenes, and explosions, as well as neat devices developed in the future and jury-rigged in the present." In addition, film industry journal Daily Variety
declared the series pilot "a slick brand extension off this profitable assembly line" that showcases "impressive and abundant action with realistic visual effects and, frankly, plenty of eye candy between Glau and Headey." At the start of the second season, Variety praised "Headey's gritty performance as Sarah — managing to be smart, resourceful and tough, yet melancholy and vulnerable as well" and that the Chronicles "continue to deliver", getting "considerable mileage out of the constant peril" facing the characters. The Connecticut Post
placed it on its list of the top 10 TV shows of 2008: "It's smart, with thought-provoking meditations on parenthood, destiny and human nature, and features good performances by Lena Headey, as Sarah, and Summer Glau." On Metacritic
, a review aggregator
which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to each review, the first season currently holds an average
score of 74 based on 24 reviews. The second season has a score of 67, based on only 4 reviews.
s associated with the Terminator series. The films have been novelized
as well.
Stirling, Blackford and Allston's individual series are of separate continuity. Tiedemann's novel follows on from Blackford's. Foster, Zahn and Cox's novels form a single continuity.
published an ongoing series with John Connor
as the main character in 2029, after sending Kyle Reese
back to 1984 to protect his mother. The seventeen issue series was followed by two limited series.
Dark Horse Comics
acquired the rights in 1990 and published The Terminator (titled Tempest in trade paperbacks
to distinguish itself), where a group of human soldiers and four Terminators come to the present, to respectively kill or protect the developers of Skynet
. One of the Terminators is Dudley, a human doctor with cybernetic implants, and he betrays his group as he feels he can make a difference in the past. In the following year's sequel Secondary Objectives, the surviving Terminator leader, C890.L, is reprogrammed to destroy another Terminator sent to aid him and kill Sarah Connor. In the immediate follow-up The Enemy Within, C890.L rebuilds and modifies himself to become more dangerous than ever, while a team of human assassins attempt to return to the past and kill a Skynet developer. The 1992 Endgame concludes this arc, with human colonel Mary Randall, having lost Dudley and her soldiers in the final battle with C890.L, protecting Sarah Connor as she goes into labor. Sarah gives birth to a girl named Jane, whose future leadership means Skynet is quickly defeated and never develops time travel.
Dark Horse published a 1992 one-shot written by James Dale Robinson
and drawn by Matt Wagner
. It followed a female Terminator and a resistance fighter battling for the life of another Sarah Connor: Sarah Lang, who has married artist Michael Connor and intends to kill him for his money. The following year they published the limited series Hunters and Killers, set during the war, where special Terminators with ceramic
skeletons and genuine organs are created to impersonate leaders in the Russian resistance. Another limited series was published in 1998, focusing on the misadventures of two malfunctioning Terminators in Death Valley
. They kill a man named Ken Norden, mistaking his wife Sara and son Jon for the Connors. This set up the following year's comic The Dark Years, where Jon Norden fights alongside John Connor in 2030. In The Dark Years, another Terminator is sent to eliminate John and his mother in 1999.
Terminators have crossed over with RoboCop
, Superman
, and Alien vs. Predator
. In the 1992 RoboCop versus The Terminator and 2000 Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future
, the heroes must prevent the war ravaged future. In 2000 Dark Horse also published Alien versus Predator versus The Terminator, where Skynet
, who went dormant after Connor defeated them, have returned and are creating an Alien-Terminator hybrid. The Ellen Ripley
clone (from Alien Resurrection) and the Predator
s join forces to stop them.
Malibu Comics
published twin series in 1995. One was a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where Sarah and John encounter two T-800s and a female T-1000
. The other was a prequel exploring how Connor sent Reese and the T-800 back in time, and the creation of the T-1000 (which took its default appearance from a captive soldier). The conclusions of both series were published in one issue.
Beckett Comics
published three series to promote Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
, each consisting of two issues.
The 2007 Terminator 2: Infinity
comic book series by Dynamite Entertainment
(a sequel to Rise of the Machines) depicts Connor on July 17, 2009. Kate Brewster died the year before, and he is aided by a future Terminator named Uncle Bob. They create a homing signal to bring together other human survivors, beginning the resistance. The series is also tied-in to another one of Dynamite's publications, Painkiller Jane, for two issues. Dynamite are releasing a sequel Terminator: Revolution and at all the same time IDW Publishing
are releasing a Salvation tie-in, possible because the former is based on the Terminator 2 license.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor
John Connor
John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race
Human Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
.
Skynet's most well-known products in its genocidal goals are the various terminator models
Terminator (character concept)
In the Terminator film series, a terminator is an autonomous robot, typically humanoid, originally conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier and assassin, as well as an infiltrator....
, such as the original "Terminator" character, portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
in the first film. Schwarzenegger also portrayed other Terminator characters; however, it is made clear that these are different units. The latest film in the franchise is Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
, released over Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend, 2009.
Premise
The central theme of the franchise is the battle for survival between the human raceHuman Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
and the self-aware artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
that is Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
. Skynet is positioned in the first film as a US defense computer system by Cyberdyne Systems which becomes self-aware and, on perceiving all humans as a threat, seeks to wipe out humanity itself. It initiates a nuclear first strike
First strike
In nuclear strategy, a first strike is a preemptive surprise attack employing overwhelming force. First strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing...
against Russia, ensuring a devastating counter strike and a nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
, wiping out much of humanity instantly. In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, Skynet builds up its own autonomous machine-based military capability, which includes the Terminators
Terminator (character concept)
In the Terminator film series, a terminator is an autonomous robot, typically humanoid, originally conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier and assassin, as well as an infiltrator....
used against individual human targets, and proceeds to fight a war against the surviving elements of humanity, some of whom have organized militarily into the Resistance. At some point in this future, Skynet develops the ability of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
, and both it and the Resistance seek to use it to win the war by preventing or forestalling their present timeline.
Judgment Day
In the franchise, 'Judgment Day' is referred to as the date on which Skynet becomes self-aware, decides to exterminate humankind, and launches the attack on RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Due to the element of time travel and the consequent ability to change the future, several dates are given for Judgment Day during the franchise. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, Sarah states that Judgment Day will occur on August 29, 1997. However, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
shows that the Judgment Day holocaust has been postponed to July 25, 2004. In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the day of judgment was delayed to April 21, 2011, due to the attack on Cyberdyne Systems in T2.
The passing of the final date for Judgment Day of April 21, 2011 prompted BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
to pose the question, "How close were the Terminator films to the reality of 2011?", comparing how far present day technology and society had developed compared to the predictions of the franchise.
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction filmScience fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
released by Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
, co-written and directed by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
, and Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror...
. It is the first work in the Terminator franchise. In the film, machines take over the world in the near future, directed by the artificial intelligence Skynet. With its sole mission to completely annihilate humanity, it develops cyborg assassins called Terminators
Terminator (character concept)
In the Terminator film series, a terminator is an autonomous robot, typically humanoid, originally conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier and assassin, as well as an infiltrator....
that outwardly appear human. A man named John Connor starts the Tech-Com resistance to defeat them and free humanity. With a human victory imminent, the machines' only choice is to send a Terminator back in time to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor
Sarah Connor
Sarah Connor may refer to:*Sarah Connor , German pop/R&B/soul singer-songwriter and dancer**Sarah Connor , 2004 album by the singer above*Sarah Connor , fictional character in the Terminator franchise...
, before he is born, preventing the resistance from ever being founded. With the fate of humanity at stake, John sends soldier Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese is the primary character in the first Terminator film, the posthumous father of John Connor, and the love of Sarah Connor. He is played by Michael Biehn in the first Terminator films, Jonathan Jackson in the television series, and played as a teenager by Anton Yelchin in Terminator...
back to protect his mother and ensure his own existence.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the 1991 sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the original Terminator film released by TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
. It is co-written, directed, and produced by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
, Edward Furlong
Edward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
, and Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
. After the machines failed to prevent John Connor from being born, they try again in 1995, this time attempting to kill him as a child with a more advanced terminator, the T-1000
T-1000
The T-1000 is a fictional nanomorph mimetic poly-alloy assassin and the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day controlled by the series main antagonist Skynet. The T-1000 is portrayed primarily by Robert Patrick; however, being a shape-shifter, the T-1000 is played by other actors in some...
. As before, John sends back a protector for his younger self, a reprogrammed Terminator, identical to the one from the previous film. After eleven years of preparing for the future war, Sarah decides to use the same tactics the machines used on her: prevent Skynet from being invented by destroying Cyberdyne Systems before they create it.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the 2003 sequel to Terminator 2 released by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
domestically and Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
internationally, directed by Jonathan Mostow
Jonathan Mostow
Jonathan Mostow is an American film director, writer and producer.-Biography:A graduate of Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut and Harvard, Mostow also trained at the American Repertory Company and New York City's Lee Strasberg Institute...
and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Nick Stahl
Nick Stahl
Nicolas Kent "Nick" Stahl is an American actor. Starting out as a child actor, he gained recognition for his performance in the 1993 film The Man Without a Face and then embarked on a successful career as a child actor...
, Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
, and Kristanna Loken
Kristanna Loken
Kristanna Sommer Loken is an American actress known for her work in both film and television, and as a fashion model.-Early life:Loken was born in Ghent, New York, the daughter of Rande , a model, and Merlin "Chris" Loken, a writer and apple farmer. All four of her grandparents were born in Norway...
. As a result of the destruction of Cyberdyne at the end of T2, the Skynet takeover has been postponed, not averted. In a last attempt to ensure a victory by the machines, a new terminator, the T-X
T-X
The T-X, also known as the Terminatrix, is a fictional character who appears in the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which is part of the Terminator franchise. The T-X is a cyborg assassin with a human female appearance; the character was portrayed by Kristanna Loken...
, is sent back to kill as many of John Connor's future lieutenants as possible, including John Connor and his future wife Kate. After the future Connor is terminated by a version of his previous protector, Kate reprograms it and sends it back to save them both from the T-X.
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is the fourth installment of the Terminator film series, again distributed by Warner and Columbia, and with an original release on May 21, 2009. It was written by John D. Brancato, Michael FerrisJohn Brancato and Michael Ferris
John Brancato and Michael Ferris are a pair of American screenwriters, whose works include The Game, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation and Surrogates....
, Jonathan Nolan
Jonathan Nolan
Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan is a British-American author and screenwriter. His short story "Memento Mori" was used by his brother, director Christopher Nolan, as the basis for the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film Memento. He has also co-written the screenplays for The Prestige and The Dark...
, and Anthony E. Zuiker
Anthony E. Zuiker
Anthony E. Zuiker is the creator and executive producer of the American television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He produces all three editions of the CSI franchise: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY...
, directed by McG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
, and stars Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Connor
John Connor
John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
. After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, John struggles to become the leader, but in this future, Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington is an English born, Australian actor. After almost a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and the lead role, Jake Sully, in James Cameron's science...
, who was personally recommended by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
) has somehow altered it, and the T-800
T-800
"The Terminator" refers to a number of fictional characters portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger – a cyborg, initially portrayed as a programmable assassin and military infiltration unit...
(Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Roland Kickinger
Roland Kickinger
Roland Kickinger is an Austrian-born bodybuilder and actor from Vienna. Standing 6-feet-4-inches-tall and weighing from 250-300 pounds, he has appeared in numerous bodybuilding competitions, fitness magazines and training videos...
) is coming online sooner than expected. The film also centers on Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese is the primary character in the first Terminator film, the posthumous father of John Connor, and the love of Sarah Connor. He is played by Michael Biehn in the first Terminator films, Jonathan Jackson in the television series, and played as a teenager by Anton Yelchin in Terminator...
(Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin
Anton Viktorovich Yelchin is an American film and television actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television roles, as well as the Hollywood films Along Came a Spider and Hearts in Atlantis...
) and how he became the man he was in the first film.
Future
While Terminator Salvation was initially intended to begin a new trilogy, production of a fifth film has been halted by legal trouble, as well as production company HalcyonThe Halcyon Company
The Halcyon Company is an American privately financed, media development company headed by Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson. They are perhaps best known for acquiring the global rights to the Terminator franchise in 2007 and for producing Terminator Salvation, which was released worldwide in the...
filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. While some anonymous sources insist that Terminator 5 will be moving forward, the majority of analysts predict that its future is in jeopardy. In late September 2009, it was announced that the rights for the franchise are once again up for sale as the Halcyon Company tries to pull itself out of bankruptcy.
In late October 2009, Halcyon announced it would auction off the rights to future Terminator material and is seeking $60–70 million, though the only offer was made by director Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
for $10,000. In December 2009, Halcyon issued a statement saying that they are looking at various options including sale and refinancing of the rights with an announcement on the outcome no later than February 1, 2010.
On February 8, 2010, an auction was held to determine the owner of the Terminator rights. After studios Sony and Lionsgate bid separately from 3 PM to 8 PM, Pacificor, the hedge fund that pushed Halcyon into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, made a deal for $29.5 million. As of June 2010, Pacificor has hired an agency to sell off the rights to the franchise.
In August 2010 it was reported that a new Terminator film is being developed. The new film would not be a direct sequel to Salvation, but rather an animated reboot of the original series. It will be entitled Terminator 3000 and will be shot by Hannover House
Hannover House
Hannover House, is an entertainment media distributor, specializing in the manufacture and release of pre-recorded movies and programs onto DVD and Blu-Ray video devices, and the publication of literary and non-fiction books. Hannover is also active in the release of higher-profile films to...
. However, Pacificor, the owner of the rights to the Terminator franchise, has not given any official license to Hannover House
Hannover House
Hannover House, is an entertainment media distributor, specializing in the manufacture and release of pre-recorded movies and programs onto DVD and Blu-Ray video devices, and the publication of literary and non-fiction books. Hannover is also active in the release of higher-profile films to...
to develop a new movie. The company posted a warning to Hannover:
On February 16, 2011 it was announced that Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
was considering a fifth Terminator film with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the star and with Fast Fives Justin Lin
Justin Lin
Justin Lin is a Taiwanese American film director, best known for his work on Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious franchise and the television show, Community.-Life and career:...
directing along with Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan (writer)
Chris Morgan is an American screenwriter. His writing credits include the screenplays for The Fast and the Furious 3, 4 & 5 and Wanted.-Filmography:*Lloyd *Dialing Up 'Cellular...
as the screenwriter. Discussions for the film are in the very early stages. On April 27, 2011 it was announced that a rights package to a Terminator movie, to which Schwarzenegger, Lin, and producer Robert W. Cort are attached, but no screenwriter, is circulating among the studios. Universal, Sony and Lionsgate, and CBS Films
CBS Films
CBS Films is an American film production company founded in 2007, a feature film division of CBS Corporation. CBS Films is located on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles.-Company history:...
are some of the interested companies. According to sources close to Schwarzenegger, he will only commit fully if a good script can be created.
It was reported on May 13, 2011, that Megan Ellison and her production company Annapurna Films won the rights to make at least two more Terminator films, including Terminator 5, in an auction deal that is rumoured to have hit the $20 million mark. While actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
is said to be up for a substantial role, the film will not be anchored by him. Instead a young male actor will take the lead.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
A television series titled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles aired on the Fox network, with Lena HeadeyLena Headey
Lena Headey is an English actress. Headey's performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland and...
as Sarah Connor and Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker (actor)
Thomas Alexander Dekker is an American film and television actor and a musician. He is also a singer and has written and produced two albums. He is best known for his roles as John Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Nick Szalinski on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Zach...
as John Connor. The series, created by Josh Friedman
Josh Friedman
Josh Friedman is an American screenwriter best known as screenwriter of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and as the writer of the 2005 film adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds....
, centers on Sarah and John after Terminator 2
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
as they try to "live under the radar" after the explosion at Cyberdyne. Summer Glau
Summer Glau
Summer Lyn Glau is an American actress, known for playing River Tam in the science fiction series Firefly and follow-up film Serenity, and for playing Cameron in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.-Early life:...
plays a Terminator protecting the Connors. Executive producer James Middleton confirmed in Variety that the series would contain a link to Terminator Salvation; however, McG later clarified in an interview that show creator Josh Friedman "was the first to jump on and say we can't chase their story threads."
Crew
| Film | Director | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Terminator The Terminator The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los... |
James Cameron James Cameron James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor... |
James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd Gale Anne Hurd Gale Anne Hurd is an American film producer and screenwriter.-Early life:Hurd was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Lolita and Frank E. Hurd, an investor. She grew up in Palm Springs, California and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A... & William Wisher, Jr. |
Gale Anne Hurd |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong... |
James Cameron & William Wisher, Jr. | James Cameron | |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken... |
Jonathan Mostow Jonathan Mostow Jonathan Mostow is an American film director, writer and producer.-Biography:A graduate of Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut and Harvard, Mostow also trained at the American Repertory Company and New York City's Lee Strasberg Institute... |
Story: John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris & Tedi Sarafian Tedi Sarafian Tedi Sarafian is an Armenian-American Screenwriter. He is perhaps most known for collaborating on the story development for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines . He is the on of Richard C. Sarafian, and the brother of Richard Sarafian Jr... Screenplay: John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris |
Mario Kassar Mario Kassar Mario F. Kassar is a film producer and industry executive whose projects are frequently in association with Andrew G. Vajna.Kassar was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Working for Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, he was executive producer of several movies starting with Victory in 1981... , Hal Lieberman Hal Lieberman Hal Lieberman is an American producer and former president of production for Universal Pictures.Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Lieberman has a B.A. from SUNY at Stony Brook and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.... & Joel B. Michaels Joel B. Michaels Joel B. Michaels is a film producer and actor. His notable work includes The Changeling for which he won a Best Motion Picture and a Golden Reel Award.... |
| Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting... |
McG McG Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer.... |
Screenplay: John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris | Derek Anderson, Moritz Borman Moritz Borman Moritz Borman is a veteran film producer. His credits include K-19: The Widowmaker, The Life of David Gale, Mindhunters, Nurse Betty, Alexander and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.... , Victor Kubicek & Jeffrey Silver |
Cast
Key
- (y) indicates the actor portrayed the role in a flashback scene as a child.
- (v) indicates the actor or actress lent only his or her voice for his or her film character.
- Italics indicate a cameo appearance
Cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
.- A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
| Character | Film | TV series | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Terminator The Terminator The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los... (1984) |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong... (1991) |
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken... (2003) |
Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting... (2009) |
The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) |
|
| The Terminator | Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011.... |
Roland Kickinger Roland Kickinger Roland Kickinger is an Austrian-born bodybuilder and actor from Vienna. Standing 6-feet-4-inches-tall and weighing from 250-300 pounds, he has appeared in numerous bodybuilding competitions, fitness magazines and training videos... Arnold Schwarzenegger |
Endoskeleton only (in dream) | ||
| Dr. Peter Silberman | Earl Boen Earl Boen Earl Boen is an American actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series... |
Bruce Davison Bruce Davison Bruce Davison is an American actor and director.-Early life:Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his... |
|||
| Sarah Connor | Linda Hamilton Linda Hamilton Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy... |
Linda Hamilton (v) | Lena Headey Lena Headey Lena Headey is an English actress. Headey's performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland and... |
||
| Kyle Reese Kyle Reese Kyle Reese is the primary character in the first Terminator film, the posthumous father of John Connor, and the love of Sarah Connor. He is played by Michael Biehn in the first Terminator films, Jonathan Jackson in the television series, and played as a teenager by Anton Yelchin in Terminator... |
Michael Biehn Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror... |
Michael Biehn | Anton Yelchin Anton Yelchin Anton Viktorovich Yelchin is an American film and television actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television roles, as well as the Hollywood films Along Came a Spider and Hearts in Atlantis... |
Jonathan Jackson Jonathan Jackson Jonathan Jackson may refer to:*Jonathan Jackson , American merchant, Continental Congressman for Massachusetts and political leader*Jonathan P... Skyler Gisondo Skyler Gisondo Skyler Gisondo is an American teen actor probably best known for his roles as Bryan Pearson on The Bill Engvall Show and Tommy Doyle in Rob Zombie's Halloween.-Awards:... (y) |
|
| John Connor John Connor John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor... |
Edward Furlong Edward Furlong Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in... |
Nick Stahl Nick Stahl Nicolas Kent "Nick" Stahl is an American actor. Starting out as a child actor, he gained recognition for his performance in the 1993 film The Man Without a Face and then embarked on a successful career as a child actor... |
Christian Bale Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses.... |
Thomas Dekker Thomas Dekker (actor) Thomas Alexander Dekker is an American film and television actor and a musician. He is also a singer and has written and produced two albums. He is best known for his roles as John Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Nick Szalinski on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Zach... John DeVito (y) |
|
| Kate Brewster | Claire Danes Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in... |
Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years... |
|||
| Miles Dyson | Joe Morton Joe Morton Joseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. is an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early life:Morton was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York. He is the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. army intelligence officer. Because of his father's... |
Phil Morris Phil Morris Phillip Morris is an American television and movie actor most famous for his portrayal of Jackie Chiles in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and John Jones in The CW sci-fi series Smallville.-Personal life:... |
|||
| T-1000 T-1000 The T-1000 is a fictional nanomorph mimetic poly-alloy assassin and the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day controlled by the series main antagonist Skynet. The T-1000 is portrayed primarily by Robert Patrick; however, being a shape-shifter, the T-1000 is played by other actors in some... |
Robert Patrick Robert Patrick Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows.... |
||||
| T-X T-X The T-X, also known as the Terminatrix, is a fictional character who appears in the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which is part of the Terminator franchise. The T-X is a cyborg assassin with a human female appearance; the character was portrayed by Kristanna Loken... |
Kristanna Loken Kristanna Loken Kristanna Sommer Loken is an American actress known for her work in both film and television, and as a fashion model.-Early life:Loken was born in Ghent, New York, the daughter of Rande , a model, and Merlin "Chris" Loken, a writer and apple farmer. All four of her grandparents were born in Norway... |
||||
| Cameron | Summer Glau Summer Glau Summer Lyn Glau is an American actress, known for playing River Tam in the science fiction series Firefly and follow-up film Serenity, and for playing Cameron in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.-Early life:... |
||||
| T-1001 | Shirley Manson Shirley Manson Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and... |
||||
Uncredited. Schwarzenegger's facial likeness was utilized via CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, with a mold of his face made in 1984 scanned to create the digital makeup. Biehn reprised his role in a cameo appearance. The scene was cut from the theatrical release, but was restored in the Special Edition of the film.
Box office
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | ||||
| The Terminator | October 26, 1984 | $38,371,200 | $40,000,000 | $78,371,200 | #1,459 | $6,500,000 | ||
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | July 3, 1991 | $204,843,345 | $315,000,000 | $519,843,345 | #92 #95(A) |
#64 | $102,000,000 | |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | July 2, 2003 | $150,371,112 | $283,000,000 | $433,371,112 | #184 | #100 | $170,000,000 | |
| Terminator Salvation | May 21, 2009 | $125,322,469 | $246,030,532 | $371,353,001 | #281 | #136 | $200,000,000 | |
| Total | $518,908,126 | $884,030,532 | $1,402,567,458 | $478,500,000 | ||||
List indicator(s)
|
||||||||
Critical reception
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
Yahoo Movies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | |||
| The Terminator | 100% (44 reviews) | 100% (6 reviews) | 84 (11 reviews) | A- (5 reviews) |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 98% (44 reviews) | 91% (11 reviews) | 69 (17 reviews) | B+ (5 reviews) |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | 70% (196 reviews) | 58% (38 reviews) | 69 (41 reviews) | B- (15 reviews) |
| Terminator Salvation | 33% (259 reviews) | 32% (38 reviews) | 52 (35 reviews) | C+ (13 reviews) |
| Average Ratings | 75% | 69% | 69 | N/A |
Cultural impact
The Terminator franchise has had a significant impact on popular culture, most notably James Cameron’s original films, The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The film franchise placed #17 on the top 25 greatest film franchises of all time by IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and is also in the top 25 grossing franchises of all time. According to Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the Terminator franchise is the sixth highest rated franchise on the site behind the Toy Story franchise
Toy Story (franchise)
Toy Story is a CGI animated media franchise created by Pixar and distributed by Disney, beginning with the original 1995 film, Toy Story. The franchise focuses on a group of toys that secretly come to life and end up unexpectedly embarking on life-changing adventures...
, the Dollars trilogy
Dollars Trilogy
The "Dollars Trilogy" , also known as the "Man with No Name Trilogy", refers to the three Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Sergio Leone: A Fistful of Dollars , For a Few Dollars More , and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly .A Fistful of Dollars is an unofficial remake of...
, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
, the Mad Max franchise
Mad Max (franchise)
The Mad Max franchise refers to a series of futuristic films, taking place in the "Mad Max Universe", that tell a story of breakdown of society, murder, and vengeance. The first Mad Max was an Australian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy, released in 1979...
, and the Star Wars trilogy, but in front of the Indiana Jones franchise.
The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "Culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The American Film Institute (AFI) has also recognized both films on a number of occasions: the line "I'll be back
I'll Be Back
"I'll be back" is a catchphrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which he first used in his role as the title character from the 1984 science fiction thriller film The Terminator. In the original shooting script, the line was written as "I'll come back". On 21 July 2005, it was chosen as #37...
" from The Terminator placed as the 37th best movie quote of all time, while "Hasta la vista, baby" from Part 2 ranked 76th on the same list. The Terminator character from The Terminator was voted the 22nd villain of all time; meanwhile, the T-800 (of the same likeness) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day was voted the 48th hero of all time on the 100 Heroes and Villains list; this is the only time the same character has appeared thusly on the two opposing lists. In the 100 Years...100 series list, the Terminator franchise was voted the 42nd most thrilling of all time. Finally, Terminator 2: Judgment Day ranked 8th on AFI's top 10 list in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
genre.
Both films were subject to numerous pop culture references, such as the use of “I’ll be back” in countless other media, including Arnold himself in The Running Man
The Running Man
The Running Man is a science fiction novel by Stephen King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982 as a paperback original. It was collected in 1985 in the hardcover omnibus The Bachman Books...
, to several cameo appearances by Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
as the T-1000, in The Last Action Hero and Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
. The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
have also spoofed both films, and the T-1000 in particular, on a number of occasions.
In terms of critical reception, the first two films also stand out. Terminator 2 is thus far the only film in the series to garner attention of the Academy Award (6 nominations and 4 wins). In addition to being rated highly among top critics, Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
has rated The Terminator the 72nd best film ever made, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day the 33rd. Both films are consistently featured on IMDb’s Top 250 list.
All four Terminator films have had very respectable box office gross, though after James Cameron left the series it saw diminishing returns
Diminishing returns
In economics, diminishing returns is the decrease in the marginal output of a production process as the amount of a single factor of production is increased, while the amounts of all other factors of production stay constant.The law of diminishing returns In economics, diminishing returns (also...
in subsequent films. The Terminator made $78 million worldwide, far surpassing its $6 million budget and becoming a major sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
. Terminator 2: Judgment Day grossed approximately $520 million globally, becoming a major blockbuster and the top-grossing film of 1991. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did not fare as well, with $433 million, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2003. Terminator Salvation grossed an estimated $371 million worldwide, a figure below industry expectations and the lowest of any of the sequels in the series.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Seasonal rankings (based on a weighted average total viewers per episode) for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in the United States:| Season | Timeslot | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. ET (January 13) | January 13, 2008 | March 3, 2008 | 2008 | #36 | 11.4 |
| Monday 9:00 p.m. ET (January 14 – March 3) | ||||||
| 2 | Monday 8:00 p.m. ET (September 8 – December 15) | September 8, 2008 | April 10, 2009 | 2008–2009 | #71 | 4.64 |
| Friday 8:00 p.m. ET (February 13 – April 10) |
The series premiere in the United States was watched by 18.6 million viewers during its premiere timeslot on January 13, 2008.
The pilot episode received a rating of 11.1 from Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
on January 13, 2008. The mainstream press reviews were generally positive. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the premiere episode 3 and a half stars out of four, calling the series, "smart, tough and entertaining." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
referred to it as "one of the more humanizing adventures in science fiction to arrive in quite a while", while the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
declared the show "has heart and feeling" and "an almost Shakespearean exploration of fate vs. character" that features "plenty of really great fight scenes, and explosions, as well as neat devices developed in the future and jury-rigged in the present." In addition, film industry journal Daily Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
declared the series pilot "a slick brand extension off this profitable assembly line" that showcases "impressive and abundant action with realistic visual effects and, frankly, plenty of eye candy between Glau and Headey." At the start of the second season, Variety praised "Headey's gritty performance as Sarah — managing to be smart, resourceful and tough, yet melancholy and vulnerable as well" and that the Chronicles "continue to deliver", getting "considerable mileage out of the constant peril" facing the characters. The Connecticut Post
Connecticut Post
The Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
placed it on its list of the top 10 TV shows of 2008: "It's smart, with thought-provoking meditations on parenthood, destiny and human nature, and features good performances by Lena Headey, as Sarah, and Summer Glau." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, a review aggregator
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to each review, the first season currently holds an average
Arithmetic mean
In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean, often referred to as simply the mean or average when the context is clear, is a method to derive the central tendency of a sample space...
score of 74 based on 24 reviews. The second season has a score of 67, based on only 4 reviews.
Other media
There have been several book series and comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s associated with the Terminator series. The films have been novelized
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
as well.
Novels
- The TerminatorThe TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
(first novelization) by Shaun HutsonShaun HutsonShaun Hutson is a writer of novels including horror novels and dark urban thrillers. A native of Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire, England, Hutson now lives and writes in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire....
(1984) - The Terminator (second novelization) by Randall FrakesRandall FrakesRandall Frakes is a film and science fiction writer primarily known for his work with long-time friends, Bill Wisher, and James Cameron on The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day....
(1991) - Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
novelization by Randall Frakes (1991)- The T2 TrilogyT2 (novel series)The T2 trilogy is a series of novels written by S. M. Stirling, set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and first published on May 2001, which makes them the first works to officially continue the franchise...
by S.M. Stirling- T2: Infiltrator (2002)
- T2: Rising Storm (2003)
- T2: The Future War (2004)
- Terminator 2: The New John Connor Chronicles by Russell BlackfordRussell BlackfordRussell Blackford is an Australian writer, philosopher, and critic, based for many years in Melbourne, Victoria. He was born in Sydney, and grew up in Lake Macquarie district, near Newcastle, NSW. He moved to Melbourne in 1979, but returned to Newcastle to live and work in 2009.-Writing career:As a...
- Dark Futures (2002)
- An Evil Hour (2003)
- Times of Trouble (2003)
- Terminator 2: Hour of the Wolf by Mark W. TiedemannMark W. TiedemannMark W. Tiedemann is an American science fiction and detective fiction author. He has written novels set in Isaac Asimov's Robot universe, and within his own original universe, known as the Secantis Sequence....
(2004)
- The T2 Trilogy
- Terminator 3: Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
novelization by David HagbergDavid HagbergDavid Hagberg is an American novelist best known for his techno-thrillers featuring super-spy Kirk McGarvey. Hagberg has also written under the pseudonym Sean Flannery, Nick Carter, David Bannerman, David James, Robert Pell, and Eric Ramsey. Hagberg's style has been described as a cross between...
(2003)- T3: Terminator DreamsT3: Terminator DreamsTerminator Dreams is a tie-in book to the 2003 movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was written by Aaron Allston. It was published in 2004.-Plot:...
by Aaron AllstonAaron AllstonAaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
(2004) - T3: Terminator HuntT3: Terminator HuntTerminator Hunt is a tie-in book to the 2003 movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was first published in December 2005. It was written by Aaron Allston.A HUNT FOR THE TRUTHA HUNT FOR SURVIVAL-Plot:...
by Aaron Allston (2005)
- T3: Terminator Dreams
- Terminator SalvationTerminator SalvationTerminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
novelization by Alan Dean FosterAlan Dean FosterAlan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
(2009)- Terminator Salvation: From the AshesTerminator Salvation: From the AshesTerminator Salvation: From the Ashes is a prequel novel written by Timothy Zahn. It is set after the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and before the events of Terminator Salvation.-Story:The novel opens on July 25, 2004 - Judgment Day...
by Timothy ZahnTimothy ZahnTimothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
(2009) - Terminator Salvation: Cold War by Greg Cox (2009)
- Terminator Salvation: Trial by Fire by Timothy ZahnTimothy ZahnTimothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
(2010)
- Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes
Stirling, Blackford and Allston's individual series are of separate continuity. Tiedemann's novel follows on from Blackford's. Foster, Zahn and Cox's novels form a single continuity.
Other books
- T-2: Judgment Day Book of the Film by Cameron/Wisher (1991)
- The Making of T-2: Judgment Day by Shay/Duncan (1991)
- Terminator 3: ROTM - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003)
- The Art of Terminator Salvation by Tara Bennett (2009)
- The Official Terminator Salvation Companion Guide by Tara Bennett (2009)
Comics and graphic novels
In 1988, NOW ComicsNOW Comics
NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comics books....
published an ongoing series with John Connor
John Connor
John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
as the main character in 2029, after sending Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese is the primary character in the first Terminator film, the posthumous father of John Connor, and the love of Sarah Connor. He is played by Michael Biehn in the first Terminator films, Jonathan Jackson in the television series, and played as a teenager by Anton Yelchin in Terminator...
back to 1984 to protect his mother. The seventeen issue series was followed by two limited series.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
acquired the rights in 1990 and published The Terminator (titled Tempest in trade paperbacks
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
to distinguish itself), where a group of human soldiers and four Terminators come to the present, to respectively kill or protect the developers of Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
. One of the Terminators is Dudley, a human doctor with cybernetic implants, and he betrays his group as he feels he can make a difference in the past. In the following year's sequel Secondary Objectives, the surviving Terminator leader, C890.L, is reprogrammed to destroy another Terminator sent to aid him and kill Sarah Connor. In the immediate follow-up The Enemy Within, C890.L rebuilds and modifies himself to become more dangerous than ever, while a team of human assassins attempt to return to the past and kill a Skynet developer. The 1992 Endgame concludes this arc, with human colonel Mary Randall, having lost Dudley and her soldiers in the final battle with C890.L, protecting Sarah Connor as she goes into labor. Sarah gives birth to a girl named Jane, whose future leadership means Skynet is quickly defeated and never develops time travel.
Dark Horse published a 1992 one-shot written by James Dale Robinson
James Dale Robinson
James Dale Robinson is a British writer of comic books and screenplays who is also known for his interest in vintage collectibles and memorabilia. His style is described as smart and energetic, built upon his vast knowledge of obscure continuity from the period known to fans and historians as the...
and drawn by Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist, best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel.-Career:...
. It followed a female Terminator and a resistance fighter battling for the life of another Sarah Connor: Sarah Lang, who has married artist Michael Connor and intends to kill him for his money. The following year they published the limited series Hunters and Killers, set during the war, where special Terminators with ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
skeletons and genuine organs are created to impersonate leaders in the Russian resistance. Another limited series was published in 1998, focusing on the misadventures of two malfunctioning Terminators in Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
. They kill a man named Ken Norden, mistaking his wife Sara and son Jon for the Connors. This set up the following year's comic The Dark Years, where Jon Norden fights alongside John Connor in 2030. In The Dark Years, another Terminator is sent to eliminate John and his mother in 1999.
Terminators have crossed over with RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, and Alien vs. Predator
Alien vs. Predator
Aliens vs. Predator, also known as Alien vs. Predator and Aliens versus Predator , is a science fiction-horror fiction series spanning several media. The series is a crossover between two film franchises about extraterrestrial beings: the Aliens and the Predators...
. In the 1992 RoboCop versus The Terminator and 2000 Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future
Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future
Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future is a 2000 four-part comic book crossover written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Steve Pugh and inks by Mike Perkins....
, the heroes must prevent the war ravaged future. In 2000 Dark Horse also published Alien versus Predator versus The Terminator, where Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
, who went dormant after Connor defeated them, have returned and are creating an Alien-Terminator hybrid. The Ellen Ripley
Ellen Ripley
Ellen Ripley is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Alien film series played by American actress Sigourney Weaver. The character was heralded as a seminal role for challenging gender roles, particularly in the science fiction genre, and remains Weaver's most famous role to...
clone (from Alien Resurrection) and the Predator
Predator (alien)
The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
s join forces to stop them.
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
published twin series in 1995. One was a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where Sarah and John encounter two T-800s and a female T-1000
T-1000
The T-1000 is a fictional nanomorph mimetic poly-alloy assassin and the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day controlled by the series main antagonist Skynet. The T-1000 is portrayed primarily by Robert Patrick; however, being a shape-shifter, the T-1000 is played by other actors in some...
. The other was a prequel exploring how Connor sent Reese and the T-800 back in time, and the creation of the T-1000 (which took its default appearance from a captive soldier). The conclusions of both series were published in one issue.
Beckett Comics
Beckett Comics
Beckett Comics started as a comic book-publishing imprint of Beckett Publications. It was founded in 2003. Originally, all of its titles were sold at a lower price than their competition...
published three series to promote Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
, each consisting of two issues.
The 2007 Terminator 2: Infinity
Terminator 2: Infinity
Terminator 2: Infinity is comic book series by Simon Furman and Nigel Raynor, published by Dynamite Entertainment. It is set in 2009, after the 2004 Judgment Day depicted in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines...
comic book series by Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
(a sequel to Rise of the Machines) depicts Connor on July 17, 2009. Kate Brewster died the year before, and he is aided by a future Terminator named Uncle Bob. They create a homing signal to bring together other human survivors, beginning the resistance. The series is also tied-in to another one of Dynamite's publications, Painkiller Jane, for two issues. Dynamite are releasing a sequel Terminator: Revolution and at all the same time IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
are releasing a Salvation tie-in, possible because the former is based on the Terminator 2 license.
Games
The franchise has been expanded with many computer and video games and other game types, where many are concerned mainly with the future war, rather than the time travel.- The TerminatorThe Terminator (video game)The Terminator may refer to:*The Terminator , 1990 game for DOS*The Terminator , 1992 game for the NES*The Terminator , 1992 game for the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear and Sega CD...
(1990-93) - DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, NESNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, Sega Master SystemSega Master SystemThe is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, Sega Genesis, Sega Game GearSega Game GearThe was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, Sega CD - The Terminator (1991) - LCD video game by Tiger ElectronicsTiger ElectronicsTiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - DOS, Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, NES, Sega Master System, Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, SNES - T2: The Arcade GameTerminator 2: Judgment Day (arcade game)Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the name of an arcade game released by WMS Industries in 1991. The game is loosely based on the film of the same name...
(1992) - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, DOS, Amiga, NES, Sega Master System, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, SNES - The Terminator 2029 (1992) - DOS
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Chess Wars (1993) - DOS
- RoboCop Versus The TerminatorRobocop versus The TerminatorRoboCop Versus The Terminator is a video game released for a number of platforms and is based on the RoboCop and Terminator franchises....
(1993) - Sega Master System, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, SNES - The Terminator: RampageThe Terminator: RampageThe Terminator: Rampage is first-person shooter video game released for the PC by Bethesda Softworks in 1993...
(1993) - DOS - The Terminator: Future Shock (1995) - DOS
- SkyNETSkyNETSkyNET, known as The Terminator: SkyNET in Europe, is a computer game based on the Terminator film series. It was originally an expansion, and became the sequel to The Terminator: Future Shock, also developed by Bethesda Softworks....
(1996) - DOS - The Terminator Collectible Card Game (2000) - Collectible card gameCollectible card gamethumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
by Precedence EntertainmentPrecedence EntertainmentPrecedence Entertainment was a publisher of collectible card games and role-playing games. Games produced include the Tomb Raider collectible card game which was nominated for an Origins Award in 1999,,... - The Terminator: Dawn of FateThe Terminator: Dawn of FateThe Terminator: Dawn of Fate is a video game based on the Terminator film series.This game is based before and during the events that lead up to Kyle Reese being sent through the time displacement equipment, to protect Sarah Connor...
(2002) - PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console... - The Terminator (2003) - Mobile phones
- Terminator 3: Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines (video game)Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a video game based on the film of the same name. It is a first-person shooter with elements of hand to hand combat in third-person perspective. A version was released for the Game Boy Advance on November 18, 2003 it was an isometric shooter. A puzzle game was...
(2003) - PlayStation 2, Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, Xbox, Mobile phones - Terminator 3: War of the MachinesTerminator 3: War of the MachinesTerminator 3: War of the Machines is a first-person shooter for Windows based on the Terminator series. It was released on November 28, 2003 following the release of the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was made by Hungarian developer Clever's Games and distributed by Atari...
(2003) - WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... - The Terminator: I'm Back! (2004) - A sequel for mobile phones
- Terminator 3: The RedemptionTerminator 3: The RedemptionTerminator 3: The Redemption is a video game based on the Terminator series, more specifically the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was developed by Paradigm Entertainment and published by Atari in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.-Production:Terminator 3: The Redemption...
(2004) - PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Xbox - Terminator SalvationTerminator Salvation (video game)Terminator Salvation is a third-person shooter action video game, released on May 19, 2009 to coincide with the release of the film of the same name on the same week. It is developed by the Halcyon Company's gaming subsidiary, Halcyon Games, along with GRIN and published by Equity Games and Evolved...
(2009) - Windows, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Rides
- T2 3-D: Battle Across TimeT2 3-D: Battle Across TimeT2 3-D: Battle Across Time is an attraction at various Universal Studios parks around the world including those at Florida, Hollywood and Japan...
, at Universal Orlando, Universal Studios JapanUniversal Studios Japan, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
and Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
, which was co-written by James CameronJames CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
.