After the Terminator Salvation panel at Wondercon, McG apparently stuck around to chat it up for a bit. One of the topics brought up, was the idea of Robert Patrick (who played the best evil Terminator of them all — the T-1000 — in T2) returning in Terminator 5 if, of course, Terminator Salvation succeeds and they decide to make another one, both of which are fully expected. Keep in mind, this is a planned trilogy, not just one at a time. Even star Christian Bale supposedly signed with the expectations of three films.
Surprisingly enough, McG responded with positive feelings about the idea. In fact, it appears that he has even been talking to Robert Patrick quite a bit (they’ve worked together twice in We Are Marshall and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle), and it’s no where near as far-fetched as you might think. Apparently McG has been busy with a lot of former cast and crew lately — Arnold Schwarzenegger saw the movie recently and they’re set to meet and discuss possible ways for Arnie to join the party; Linda Hamilton has been talking with him a lot about her possible voice over work, and McG is trying to get James Cameron to take a little peek at the movie as well, just for approval, of course.
Here’s what the director had to say about Mr. Robert Patrick and his possible involvement in the likely sequel.
I talk to Robert Patrick with great regularity,” he said. “It’s interesting – I was [thinking of] a through line. I’ll bounce it off of you guys: I like the idea in a prospective next picture that you meet Robert Patrick the way he looks today, and he’s a scientist that’s working on improving cell replication so we can stay healthier and we can cure juvenile diabetes and all these things that once again sound like good ideas — and once again live as an idealized expression of ourselves. So imagine seeing a sixty-year-old Robert Patrick and knowing, ‘Holy shit! That’s gonna be the T-1000 – who comes back perfect, lean and the whole thing.’ I haven’t concluded that, but Robert and I had dinner the other night and talked about it.
Obviously this whole venture is to make their own vision of Terminator and not just re-do what James Cameron did way back when, but it is cool that these people who built the franchise are very important to them on multiple levels. On one level, McG is making sure that they like the movie — if they like it, then he has succeeded. On the other, he’s working hard to give nods where nods are due. No, you’ll never see Arnold Schwarzenegger return as the Terminator in a full role, but he’s out there trying to get him involved some how as a nod to what he did for the character and for us the fans. The same goes for Linda Hamilton and Robert Patrick. No, this movie and this story probably doesn’t require any of these characters, but if you can slide them in with the glorious tip of the hat, it will ensure the final project is all the more special.
So what needs to happen to ensure a sequel and the possibility of Robert Patrick as a friendly old scientist?
But the audience has to say we need another one. Let Memorial Day come. If we all get together and sit at a table like this and you guys give me a kick in the ass and say, ‘Go make another one,’ I’ll deliver Bale and we’ll get it done.”
On a little side note: McG also spoke about the DVD and the Director’s Cut and promised that there will be “substantially more,” so we have that to look forward to as well.
[Source: FearNet via Cinematical]
