Paramount’sTerminator Genisyswasn’t exactly the box office behemoth the studio was hoping for last summer, taking in just $89.7 million domestically. The sci-fi sequel did fare much better internationally with $350.8 million, for a worldwide total of $440.6 million, from a $150 million budget. The studio had been planning two more sequels for several months before the movie opened, but the status of those projects are still in limbo. Even if they do move forward, it seems they will happen withoutTerminator GenisysstarEmilia Clarke. Here’s what she had to say, when asked if she has signed on to return for the sequels.
“No. Can I say that? It’s okay. No. Uh-uh. But I have some very different roles coming up.”
This news comes fromComing Soon. The studio announced in September 2014 that they were moving forward with two sequels toTerminator Genisys, nine months before the movie debuted in theaters. Paramount set a July 01, 2025 release date forTerminator Genisys 2, and a June 12, 2025 date forTerminator Genisys 3, and they were also developing a new TV series as well. Just a few weeks afterTerminator Genisysopened in theaters, a report surfaced that claimed both sequels and the TV show weren’t set in stone. After the movie opened big in China, Skydance Productions, which produced and co-financedTerminator Genisyswith Paramount, revealed that theTerminator sequelswere still happening, but they were being “re-adjusted.” Just last month,Arnold Schwarzeneggerclaimed that he was very much looking forward to doing the sequels.
The last update we had on this sequel saga was in January, when Paramount yankedTerminator Genisys 2out of its August 13, 2025 release date, with the newBaywatchremake set to take its place. The studio didn’t issue a new date forTerminator Genisys 2, but, oddly enough, the studio didn’t move the August 26, 2025 date forTermiantor Genisys 3, so it seems these sequels may still happen, at some point. Still, the news thatEmilia Clarkewon’t be returning asSarah Connoris certainly intriguing, which could either mean the studio will recast this iconic role, or the sequels simply won’t focus on her at all.
The rights to the entireTerminatorfranchise will revert back to directorJames Cameronin 2019, 35 years after his 1984 classicThe Terminatorwas released. This is likely why the studio set 2017 and 2018 release dates forTerminator Genisys 2andTerminator Genisys 3. It isn’t known if the director has any plans to revisit the franchise after the rights revert back to him, but he’ll certainly be busy in the meantime. The filmmaker revealed last week thatAvatar 2has been pushed back to December 2018, withAvatar 3debuting in 2020, whileAvatar 4and the newly-announcedAvatar 5will debut back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
It’s possible thatTerminator Genisys 2andTerminator Genisys 3could hit theaters in 2018 and 2019 respectively, before the rights shift back toJames Cameron, but Paramount’s plans for this franchise are becoming more and more unclear. As of now, the sequels don’t have any writers or directors attached, and it isn’t clear ifTerminator GenisysdirectorAlan Tayloror writersPatrick LussierandLaeta Kalogridiswill be back for the follow-ups. Stay tuned for more onTerminator Genisys 2andTerminator Genisys 3as soon as more updates come in.
