By: Cynthia Ayala
So of course, after the debacle that was Terminator: Salvation fans of the Terminator Series (myself included) have been eager to see another movie that would return the characters to their original personas and set the story in motion for a concluding trilogy.
However, what we’re getting is a prequel/sequel, which I personally have no qualms about. In fact, the more I read about the film, the more eager I am to see this baby on the screen.
It’s already been released that the three major roles in the franchise – Sarah Connor, John Connor and Kyle Reese – have already been filled. The casting for those three are Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney respectively. Additionally, the director attached to the project is Alan Taylor. But a new name has been revealed to join to cast and it is none other than Byung-hun Lee (G.I Joe: Retaliation). In a leaked sheet on Reddit, it has been revelaed that Byung-hun will be taking on the role of the T-1000, a role that was played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (my personal favorite of the franchise).
However, Byung-hun is not the only new casting addition. Joining the crew in an original role is none other than former Doctor Who Matt Smith. In response to his role, Studio Paramount said Matt is set to be playing “new character with a strong connection to John Connor”. Matt can’t talk about the character or his role, making a joke reminiscent of the Suicide Squad (comic book geek? Not surprised) saying in an interview with Wizard World Minneapolis:
“The thing is, I’ve been implanted with a chip where, if I talk about it, my head explodes. All I can say about Terminator is that I’m very excited to be part of the Terminator franchise because those movies – those first two movies, particularly – are brilliant. Yeah, it’s very exciting.”
Matt Smith to WWM
More details about the movie reveal that ‘Genesis,’ is a first standalone movie in a new trilogy. So yes fans, it is a reboot. But while that seems deterrent, just look at the casting and the crew behind it. The script has been penned by Shutter Island writer, Laeta Kalogridis, and Drive Angry writer, Patrick Lussier, while being produced by Megan Ellison, the person responsible Academy Award-nominated movie, Zero Dark Thirty. Other executive producers include Paul Schwake (Into Darkness, Star Trek, World War Z), and Dana and David Goldberg.
As fans and moviegoers can only hope that this will bode well for the film, let’s just keep our fingers crossed, just in case.
Terminator: Genesis is set for release on July 1, 2015 and don’t worry fans, Arnold Schwarzenegger is reprising his signature role as the Terminator alongside a cast that also includes the aforementioned as well as Dayo Okeniyi (The Hunger Games), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man), Michael Gladis (Mad Men), and Sandrine Holt (House of Cards).
Sources: Flickering Myth, The Guardian, Ecumenical News