'Terminator Genisys 2' may now push through after its massive overseas success in China. Leading man Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to reprise his role as the titular Guardian/Terminator.
According to Digital Spy, the latest installation in the franchise opened in China last Sunday with a massive haul of $27 million despite its lackluster performance in the U.S. box office. The success in China paved the way for a scheduled sequel to be released on May 19, 2017 after critics though it to die a natural death. It became the fourth biggest American film to open in the Chinese market and sealed its fate as a bankable return to the highly popular series.
In another article by Variety, the film by Skydance and Paramount Pictures opened in 25,000 locations in the overseas territory and pushed the international grossing total to $335 million against the original $155 million budget. Three quarters of that figure came from the global market since its disappointing earnings in the U.S. that only amounted to $89 million.
The film starred pop icon and action-hero Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular Guardian, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, Jason Clarke as John Connor and 'Game of Thrones' mainstay Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor.
The film's plot focused on Kyle Reese waging war against the fictional artificial general intelligence Skynet that aims to destroy humankind. Kyle is sent back in time to protect John Connor's mother, Sarah, and ends up fighting alongside her and her mentor the Guardian/Terminator. The film was released in North America last July 1, 2015 and received generally negative reviews from critics.
According to Slash Film, Schwarzenegger may be back for 'Terminator Genisys 2' since his performance in the franchise was always considered marketable. It was unclear whether the series would push through at first, but after its blockbuster ratings in China studio executives are optimistic of its revival.
It was reported that the film was the first Hollywood movie released in the country after 'Jurassic World' earlier in the summer and its surprising achievement could just be credited to the audience's anticipation for a film from abroad.
'Terminator Genisys 2' is a planned follow-up and sixth installment in the science-fiction action franchise created by James Cameron. The first ever cinematic release was introduced in 1984 and garnered critical acclaim. It paved the way to the creation of a commercially successful franchise that includes television series, comic books and novels.
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