Chapter 510: The Fate of the Terminator

[Chapter 575: The Fate of the Terminator]

Rosarito was a coastal city in Baja California, Mexico, located next to the border town of Tijuana. By the end of 1995, it had only just been upgraded from a suburban area of Tijuana to an independent small town. This year, 20th Century Fox purchased a 16-square-kilometer plot of land on the northern beach of Rosarito to shoot James Cameron's film Titanic. They had constructed a Baja Studio there.

The large water tank, along with the incomplete Titanic ship, had transformed the Baja shooting base into a mini-movie town because of Titanic.

Arthur Smith, having Charlize Theron with him, set out from offshore Los Angeles aboard the Black Pearl, heading south along the coastline to Rosarito.

"This is the filming location for Titanic? Unbelievable! The papers said that due to MGM's involvement, the production budget for Titanic exceeded Waterworld, reaching 200 million dollars."

Charles Theron, following Arthur, wore a look of sheer astonishment.

"Well, feel free to look around. I'll chat with the director," Arthur kissed the lady. "We'll meet on the yacht tonight."

"Okay."

...

Before long, Arthur arrived at the studio office under the guidance of 20th Century Fox producer Jon Landau.

"American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and British actress Kate Winslet," Arthur remarked, watching the two listening to James Cameron during a discussion about the film, feeling a bit nostalgic.

"So far, so good, especially Leonardo DiCaprio. His romantic drama Romeo + Juliet just hit theaters this month. The reviews and box office numbers have been solid; I believe once Titanic is released next year, it will have unexpected results." Jon Landau explained.

Arthur smiled, "James Cameron always manages to elevate the technical quality of his films. The previous Terminator 2: Judgment Day was truly astonishing; this Titanic utilizes even more advanced technology!"

Perhaps George Lucas was starting to officially prepare for the Star Wars prequels also due to advancements in special effects.

"Can it make a summer release next year?" Arthur showed much interest in the timeline for Titanic.

Jon Landau shook his head, "It has to be too rushed."

"In that case, a Christmas release seems likely," Arthur understood; a film of this caliber required significant promotional efforts.

...

Subsequently, Arthur met with James Cameron in the office and inquired about Terminator 3.

Recently, James Cameron had announced that he would not be directing Terminator 3!

James Cameron looked helpless. "I originally intended to direct Terminator 3, and 20th Century Fox was prepared to invest; plus, I had spoken to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, and both were set to return. Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox did not secure the filming rights to Terminator in advance."

After Carolco's bankruptcy, all its assets were seized by the bank, which included half of the Terminator rights. Many companies showed interest in a sequel, but the bank refused to sell the Terminator rights individually, dragging out the negotiations.

"However, I heard that the rights to Terminator were bought by Carolco's former owner, Mario Kassar, and Andrew Vajna?" Arthur asked, somewhat confused.

James Cameron sighed, "Recently, Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna visited the set; I casually told them about my intentions to work on Terminator 3 and plan for 20th Century Fox to negotiate with the bank. Perhaps due to the severe overspending on Titanic, 20th Century Fox was hesitant to heavily invest in Terminator 3, treating talks with the bank casually. Unexpectedly, Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna went behind my back to negotiate with the bank and successfully bought that half of the rights for 8 million dollars; furthermore, they reached a deal with Gale Anne Hurd, who had the other half."

James Cameron felt betrayed. "Gale Anne Hurd sold her half of the rights for the same 8 million dollars, retaining her role as a producer for Terminator 3; so, in a fit of rage, I announced that I would no longer direct Terminator 3."

Arthur understood; once Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna realized that 20th Century Fox hadn't pursued the Terminator rights, they spent 16 million dollars to acquire all of it from Gale Anne Hurd and the bank, making James Cameron furious enough to throw in the towel.

Arthur looked at James Cameron, puzzled. "In the Terminator series, apart from the director, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the main character; with both of your star power, why not buy the rights to Terminator yourselves?"

Then you could make movies whenever you wanted.

James Cameron awkwardly cleared his throat, "Actually, Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested this to me a while back. I just thought it wasn't necessary for us to buy it ourselves. 20th Century Fox would handle it."

"Okay," Arthur chuckled; it seemed that waiting on the studio to deal with it had backfired spectacularly.

...

That night, Arthur took Charlize Theron to the Black Pearl yacht and directly called Tom Rothman in Los Angeles.

"Shh," Arthur cuddled with Charlize, lying in bed, kissing her sweetly.

"What's happening with Carolco now?" Arthur asked.

"Carolco? Well, it seems that after receiving permission from the bankruptcy court, the rights to the Terminator and First Blood sequels have been sold."

"Really?" Arthur pursed his lips; two of the most valuable series sequels were just acquired. "Let's collect the remaining rights from Carolco; after all, MGM holds several of their distribution rights."

"Sure."

Shortly after, Arthur hung up the phone. Charlize, during their kiss, lifted her head. "Are you talking about the Carolco that went bankrupt last year?"

"Yes," Arthur laughed, "the same Carolco that flopped with Cutthroat Island and Showgirls last year."

It seemed Showgirls did reasonably well in video rentals, but Cutthroat Island was undeniably beyond saving.

*****

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