The screenwriters talk going back to the future with Arnold and the gang.
This article contains spoilers for Terminator Genisys.
Den Of Geek: You were a little hesitant to take this on at first.
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Laeta Kalogridis: Yeah.
He created all of it.
What did the producers talk about when they approached you?
Kalogridis: The producers said, What would you do if you did this job?
That was pretty much their marching orders: What would you do?
We wanted him to be a vital part of the story.
The time travel was something we felt was missing fromTerminator Salvation.
It was all part of the original pitch.
That was where we land.
We land in the alley with Kyle.
We land at the park with the Terminator and the story branches off from there.
The alternate timeline allows you to go anywhere from this point.
Those timelines still exist.
That Skynet is not from our universe.
Its not from our timeline.
Thats why he says, Ive come a long way.
Is there a big diagram somewhere with all this mapped out?
Kalogridis: I have one.
Lussier: Oh, yes.
Which may or may not become valuable as time goes forward [laughs].
Kalogridis: Oh, totally.
Kalogridis: Its impossible not to.
Those characters are so iconic.
Lussier: Certainly we did when we wrote the first draft before anybody was cast but Arnold.
It was impossible to shake it.
Kalogridis: Not that you would want to.
So you wanted to.
Were you surprised to see the reveal about John Connor in the trailer?
But were not involved in marketing.
So the decisions made there obviously we werent really part of.
Lussier: They didnt come tell us how to write it and we didnt tell them how to market.
That was sort of the unwritten deal.
[laughs]
Kalogridis: But its certainly not the way that you envision the story being experienced.
How do you two write together?
Lussier: All of the above.
Kalogridis: We throw things at each other.
A lot of swearing.
Truckers and sailors would run from the room.
[laughs]
Is it up to one of you to write the final version of any given scene?
I honestly cant remember who did the last pass on a scene.
As long as its working it doesnt matter.
How many drafts did you go through before you had it where you wanted it?
Kalogridis: Yes, if we get lucky enough.
We do have unanswered questions.
What are you working on next?
Kalogridis: Its slightly classified.
Stuff that were very excited and feeling very good about working on.
Kalogridis: But thats what you always say, right?
Stuff that hopefully will get made.
Because its a bit of a crapshoot, isnt it?
Terminator Genisysis in theaters now.
