TERMINATOR 4 is PG-13?

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Monday, May 05, 2008
Source: Variety

Halcyon Co. aims to deliver Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins as a PG-13 movie to Warner Bros. for release on May 22, 2009.

The "Terminator" series is one of the highest-grossing R-rated franchises of all time, with the first three films having grossed more than $1.03 billion worldwide. "The ratings have changed," said Halcyon co-founder and co-CEO Victor Kubicek, a broker-turned-writer-producer. "The PG-13 has increased in intensity."

A family-friendly rating opens many doors, including a "Terminator Salvation" licensing deal for action figures with Playmates Toys.

"Our merchandising program will be the largest to date for 'The Terminator,' " said Halcyon co-founder and co-CEO Derek Anderson, ex-owner of ad agency In the Mix, who adds that he had not discussed the possibility of an R-rating with Warners. "We won't force it. We are carrying on in the tradition of the mythology, with an exciting approach to the action. If we can make a compelling film to reach the widest audience, why wouldn't we do it?"

Halcyon has already launched Halcyon Games to create a "Terminator" game for release at the same time as the movie. "The first three games were all bad," Anderson said. "The core fans are screaming for something fresh; they won't be just playing the movie."

Set in post-apocalyptic 2029, an adult John Connor, played by Christian Bale, leads the war to save humanity from the killing machines. Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and Moon Bloodgood co-star.

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Comments/Responses

Dazzler • May 05, 2008, 04:23am •

Great just what I need a buddy pal Terminator toy for the toddler.

PG-13 is good for superhero movies but this is supposed to be an adult themed movie. Going for the cash again it seems. I guess I don't blame them.

316mio • May 05, 2008, 04:27am •

Terminator films are for an older audience.Now it's for the kiddies......?????

chirop1 • May 05, 2008, 04:50am •

My first reaction to this was dismay, but I'm wracking my brain for the few memories I have of T3. Nothing in there really stands out as being "R worthy." Even as I think back to T2, I don't know what exactly qualified it for an R rating. I don't think it will effect the quality of the movie much. As was noted in the article, PG-13 is different now than it once was. Basically, violence gets you PG-13 these days and sex gets you R. I don't know that we need graphic scenes of Christian Bale having sex in an underground lair anyways.

AlpineWoods • May 05, 2008, 04:56am •

If this happens, it's all for the reason of reaching a wider audience. They probably got the idea from the Sarah Connor Chronicles series. That being a bit watered down for TV, but still filled with action and sci-fi stuff. If you look at the third movie, it could have easily got a PG-13 by cutting out some stuff and removing the few curse words therein. But we shouldn't think because of a possible different rating that it'll hurt the movie. The movie would work either way. We just have to wait and see.

Whiskeymovie • May 05, 2008, 05:05am •

I was thinking the same thing about the PG-13,,,,I don't recall anything too bad in T2 or T3 that warranted an R rating, other than some language and some gore. Same thing with the Matrix movies. Although, the unrated version of Live Free or Die Hard seemed to be much better with the curses back in it, but that is Die Hard. I am pretty psyched for this PG-13 or not

bgm1975 • May 05, 2008, 06:19am •

Since this one will be set in the future and mostly be using lasers and cyborgs, I can see it being a PG-13 film. As long as theres no nudity and very little swearing (Because we know that stuff is worse than violence), it would work as a PG-13 film. Die Hard 4 was still a good movie as PG-13. The only genre that sucks as PG-13 is horror, since I can't even recall one horror film that did good as PG-13. The only thing going to hurt the Terminator film is the director of Charlie's Angels (Was that even a good movie?). He's just awful and another Brett Ratner.

TheSleeper • May 05, 2008, 06:33am •

McG! PG-13! Oh, boy...

Let me just say the PG-13 rating for Live Free or Die Hard didn't bother me. But I've long wanted to see the full-on apocalyptic war with the machines on the big screen, and somehow, I just don't think we're really going to see how overwhelmed the humans are if this is a PG-13 movie. It means the film probably won't be as dark. We won't get the full sense of how ruthless the terminators can be. The universe will feel "safe."

And "safe" isn't Skynet's world at all.

Roads • May 05, 2008, 06:40am •

I've got a bad feeling about this.

wessmith1966 • May 05, 2008, 07:13am •

I don't think PG-13 will hurt the movie, only help it. PG-13 movies can be pretty intense. The T movies don't have a lot of gore and so they can't go around dropping the "F" bomb. I just don't think it'll make that much difference.

Hobbs • May 05, 2008, 07:41am •

Is anyone truly surprised by this? McChicken is going to screw up this movie beyond belief. This is just the first step. More will come. They figure by letting the 6 year olds go see it with their 13 year old brother and sister they can make back all the money they would lose with the crowd that knows this movie is going to suck. Though, I have to admit I think it will be interesting to see the skeleton robots doing a matrix yelling "Angel power!"

The rights to this franchise ended up in the wrong hands.

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TERMINATOR 4 is PG-13?

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