After already changing hands a bunch of times, the rights to the Terminator franchise were bought by Halcyon (Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek) in 2007 for $25 million. They subsequently released Terminator Salvation this year, but despite the film earning $371 million worldwide, Halcyon is in bankruptcy court owing creditors between $4 and $32 million. Since the rights to the Terminator franchise are their only asset, they’re selling them, and they want $60 million.
“We’re going to be contacting a variety of studios and independent companies,” said Kevin Shultz, senior managing director at FTI. “We think the values are considerably in excess of the purchase price.”
In a previous bankruptcy court filing, Anderson claimed that the Terminator rights are now worth more than $60 million, more than double what he and Kubicek paid. Shultz said his firm will conduct its own analysis. Such valuations, which are based on forthcoming cash flow from “Salvation,” which has yet to be released on DVD, as well as potential further sequels, can vary widely because the performance of future films is so difficult to predict. [LA Times]
If someone pays $60 million for the rights — which they probably won’t — but if they pay anywhere near that, it’s hard to imagine they’d spend that much unless they were planning to make another Terminator movie. (Then again, it’s hard to imagine someone paying $25 million for the rights, making a movie that earns almost $400 million, and still ending up bankrupt, but that’s another story). I can only hope Fox buys the rights and hires Randi Mayem Singer to write the script. In a world, where John Connor is raised by an African-American family, one straitlaced robot will learn how to loosen up, and one community will be turned upside down. Starring Sinbad, Duane the Rock Johnson, and Channing Tatum. Terminator 5: I’ll be Black. Opens Judgement Day, August 29th 2011.
UGO recently discovered that the director’s cut of Terminator Salvation, soon to be released all over your face on DVD and BluRay, will be rated R for “violence and brief nudity.” This is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1. it’s a slow news day. 2. McG has contradicted himself a few times now vis a vis his film’s rating and the reasons for it.
Back in March at Wondercon, McG told a screaming crowd that WB was trying to get him to cut a scene showing Moon Bloodgood’s boobs. “Do you want to see Moon’s boobs in the picture?” McG said while sitting next to the actress, trying to fire up the all-male audience. (I also imagine him pointing at her boobs while he said it, but that may be dramatic license). And this is neither here nor there, but he also promised the crowd that the movie “is gonna knock your f’ckin balls up your ass.” Woohoo, I f’ckin love balls up my ass, McG imagined the crowd cheering.
Two dollars.
Terminator Salvation has grossed over $370 million worldwide so far (and still isn’t out on DVD). Yet this is happening:
Three companies belonging to Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, owners of the “Terminator” franchise rights and producers of May’s “Terminator Salvation,” have filed for bankruptcy [...] Those owed the most money include a number of top industry law firms such as Greenberg Traurig ($437,618.61); Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard, & Shapiro ($120,672.89) and O’Melveny & Myers ($96,565.86). They also owe $25,000 to C2 Pictures, the production company controlled by previous “Terminator” owners Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna. In addition, one British individual [Orlando Wood] is owed $3.5 million. There is no reason given for any of the debts. The three companies each list estimated assets and liabilities totaling between $10 million and $50 million. [The LA Times]
But don’t worry about Anderson and Kubicek. They’ll be fine:
In a recent interview, McG revealed that Christian Bale’s outburst wasn’t his first run-in with an actor, and that Bill Murray had actually headbutted him on the set of Charlie’s Angels. As if actors needed more reasons not to work with McG.
“I’m reintroducing the fist-fight to movie sets,” he smiles. “I don’t think there’s been a film I’ve made where there hasn’t been some kind of physical fight. I mean, I’ve been headbutted by an A-list star. Square in the head. An inch later and my nose would have been obliterated.” Will he be revealing any names? “Nah, I probably shouldn’t,” he smiles. “But it was Bill Murray. Y’know, it’s a passionate industry.” [Guardian via Playlist]
It’s hard to tell if he was being serious and I doubt someone from The Guardian would know the difference, but in any case let’s assume McG is an a-hole and no one should work with him ever. There, done. Who could make Bill Murray so angry he wants to fight? He’s adorable. It’d be like getting mauled by a pygmy baby hippo.
Pixar kept it real yet again over the weekend, with Up taking $68.2 million, Pixar’s third biggest opening ever (behind The Incredibles and Finding Nemo) and the fourth biggest opening of ‘09 (behind Star Trek, Wolverine, and 4 Fast 4 Fourious).
Sam Raimi’s similarly well-reviewed Drag Me to Hell earned $16.6 mil and landed in number three (behind Night at the Museum 2) - solid business unless you consider that it was $5 million less than The Strangers made on the same weekend last year. Of course, The Strangers, who could forget The Strangers. Who the f*ck was in that again?
Terminator Salvation is now down $14 million from Terminator 3: That One with the Chick. Ouch. Don’t get me wrong, TermSalv was sucky, but it wasn’t that sucky. The numbers for Angels & Demons were also way off the Da Vinci Code, so hopefully we can expect Tom Hanks to take off his Nic Cage wig (and forehead) any day now and get back to being a respected actor again. A freakishly creaseless forehead is the first segno of a career on decline. See also: Cage, Bob Thornton. (full top 10 after the jump)
