It looks like Terminator news is coming fast and strong these weeks. My prayers have sadly not been answered, as Variety have confirmed that McG is definitely directing the fourth Terminator film, which is due out in 2009. Oh dear, things are not looking good for one of cinema’s best franchaises. Indeed, it looks like it will descend in the same manner as Alien.

The fourth film is entitled Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, which is probably the worst title since Attack of the Clones, or the new Indiana Jones film. There are so many things wrong with that title. Firstly, why on each would one want salvation for the terminators? For that is the only meaning I can derive from the first part. As for the future beginning, well that’s just one of those titles that sounds powerful (McBain IV: Fatal Discharge) but actually doesn’t make any sense. The future begins? But how can it be the future then? It seems that as much thought has been put into the title as the decision on its director.

In other Terminator news, IGN announced that there’s plenty more to come from the genocidal machines, as rights have been acquired to produce three Terminator films in total. That’s two more films after McG’s abomination. Expect titles such as Terminator Enlightenment: The End of the Past, or Terminator Sympathy: The Present is Arriving.

For those who can’t wait to see McG destroy a good idea, The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series starts airing in January. Although there’s something dissatisfying about following a series that’s semingly set between two films (thus we know what the outcome is), it has to potential to deliver a few thrills, which is more than I can say of Prison Break.