He won't be back - no more Terminator for Arnold Schwarzenegger

It’s hasta la vista for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the on-going – but currently stalled – ‘Terminator’ movie series.

According to reports, the 69-year-old actor won’t be playing the cyborg assassin again, after producers at Paramount passed on having both him and Emilia Clarke back for more movies.

“It is over for ‘The Terminator’ and Arnold,” a source told the New York Daily News.

“The studio has taken the sequel off the production slate completely, meaning there is no preproduction or any plans for another sequel.

“The talent had been offered long term deals, but this is not happening.

“The Genisys movie was seen as a way of reviving (the franchise), but the critics were not happy and somehow the studio bosses fell out of love with making more, even though they made huge profits.”

Huge profits is perhaps something overstatement, particularly in the case of the movies since ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’.

‘Terminator Genisys’, released in 2015, made $440 million, not a colossal haul by action blockbuster standards, while ‘Terminator Salvation’ made $371 million and ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ made $433 million.

“It would need an independent production company to think about making this, and asking Arnie back at age 70 to play that again may be a tough ask,” the source added.

Skydance Productions took over the production of the movies for ‘Genisys’, and had planned a further two instalments in the series.

But after ‘Genisys’ underperformed, the series was put on hold indefinitely, and the ‘Baywatch’ movie with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron took the initially slated spot which had been earmarked for a new ‘Terminator’ movie by Paramount for May this year.

Meanwhile, reports emerged in January this year that James Cameron was eyeing a possible return to the franchise – he helmed the first two classic movies – with talk of ‘Deadpool’s Tim Miller directing.

Though Cameron does have his hands rather full with his persistently delayed ‘Avatar’ movies, so such a move could be unlikely for a few years, at the very least.

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