SUBMITTED BY Kit-Kat

February 27, 2008 — Leslie Simmons reports: "Christian Bale (Getty Images photo) Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has bought the international distribution rights to "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," the fourth installment in the multibillion-dollar movie franchise.

The deal inked with the film's producers, Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson of the Halcyon Co., hands Sony's worldwide acquisitions group arm all foreign distribution rights except for Korea and some Middle East countries. There are no plans to sell off any of those foreign rights to third-party distributors, a SPWAG spokesman said. Warner Bros. is handling U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for the film, set to bow in first-half 2009.

"The Sony distribution team is really energized by this opportunity to work with Victor and Derek at the Halcyon Co. in continuing our involvement with the 'Terminator' series," said Peter Schlessel, president of worldwide affairs at Sony. McG will helm the film, the first in a new "Terminator" trilogy that stars Christian Bale as John Connor. The project also reunites John Brancato and Michael Ferris, who partnered to pen "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," as well as Moritz Borman, a producer on the 2003 film. Production is scheduled to begin in the spring in New Mexico. "