The Rock & Terminator 5

[Mitch Henessey]

The Rock may 'Terminate' his WWE future to Battle Schwarzenegger in T5

WWE Examiner exclusively learned Friday that there's a very good reason why Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson might not be competing at WrestleMania 30 next April in New Orleans. He could very well be doing battle with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of Terminator 5.
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Two years ago, film producer Megan Ellison - the daughter and heiress to Oracle founder Larry Ellison - secured the rights to the Terminator franchise for her Annapurna Films production company. Having reportedly snagged franchise rights away from Lionsgate, which wanted the screen rights to both Terminator 5 and Terminator 6, Ellison was determined to create the biggest Terminator films ever made. As it turns out, however, Ellison needs to act soon before her rights to the Terminator brand expire.

With Arnold Schwarzenegger having recently confirmed his involvement in Terminator 5, we're told the script is now being developed and with one fellow action movie star in mind for the role of T5's most sinister machine. A source close to Annapurna Films exclusively tells WWE Examiner Friday morning that one version of the script is being produced specifically for The Rock himself.

Although Johnson has previously confessed to wanting to play the villain in a forthcoming James Bond flick, it doesn't look like that wish will come true any time soon. But the opportunity to star opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger could be even bigger. And these days, everything The Rock does is definitely big.

In fact, the WWE legend and new host of TNT’s The Hero has had an unprecedented run at the box office this year. The Rock's films released just in the last five months have already grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. For the past 15 weekends, Johnson has had at least one film in the Top 10 films at the U.S. box office.

But a role in T5 could become Johnson's biggest role to date.

A source close to the project says one idea being considered for the film could throw fans of the Terminator franchise for a loop. According to the scenario outlined, T5 may be a prequel set in the days of Sarah Connor's parents, marking the first time terminators have been sent back in time to kill a character that existed before both John and Sarah Connor.

Incredibly, Schwarzenegger may not play the role of a machine in the next film, but a potentially heroic human figure in or close to the Connor family. One theory is that Schwarzenegger's remarkable ability to protect the Connor family in the 1940s or 1950s with antiquated weaponry by today's standards ultimately inspired the machines to develop a terminator in his likeness that was eventually sent to 1984 when Sarah Connor was first targeted for termination.

Although this is purely speculation, the source contends, don't be surprised if T5 is dramatically unlike anything you've seen from the film franchise before.

All we know for certain is that if The Rock signs on the dotted line to do battle with Arnold in the 5th and potentially final Terminator film of the Schwarzenegger era, it could very well be the biggest blockbuster of both Schwarzenegger's and Johnson's film careers.

Calls to Johnson's representatives were not immediately returned. For now, neither the film's production company or rumored T-5 stars have confirmed plans for The Rock to appear in T-5.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-rock-may-terminate-his-wwe-future-to-battle-schwarzenegger-t5

Of course, it's a lot of speculation at this point, but there's a chance Rock could miss Wrestlemania 30 to take a part in Terminator 5.

If Rock is offered the role, you know what he's going to do, and I doubt he'll think twice about it. A part in Terminator 5 with Arnold returning to the franchise for the first time since Rise Of The Machines is a big deal, and although Arnie isn't the strong box office draw he once was, you have to believe his return paired with The Rock would generate tons of buzz amongst moviegoers and Terminator fans.

Personally, I could do without Rock having a match at Mania 30. Don't get me wrong, I go nuts whenever he comes back, but with his hectic schedule, Rock's not going to dedicate too much time to WWE. It's a big reason for the lackluster build to this year's match with Cena.

Again, we're still in the very early and tentative stages here, but if Rock is offered the part in T5, he's going to take it, because it could be the biggest role in his career.

Thoughts on this?

 

[JustB]

It's obviously always good for WWE to have Rock around for a WM, but they can (and must learn to) survive without having these big part timers at WM. Even as a HUGE Rock fan on an all-time basis, I can honestly say there are plenty of full timers who have entertained me more in the past year than Rock did during his last run. Punk, Bryan, AJ and Ziggler alone were all involved in more "must-see TV" than Rock was in the past year.

To me, people who are gonna buy WM, are gonna buy WM. $60 is too much for someone to dish out just to see one guy wrestle when they can see him in dozens of movies for 1/5 the price. People who are willing to pay that kind of money for 4 hours of entertainment are doing so for a full show, and if WWE would put as much time into making us care about some of the full timers as they do reminding us to care about Rocky, they could easily sell just as many PPVs.

 

[CMbrose Punk]

Dwayne Johnson has given enough to this industry. He has every right to focus on his movie career and maybe this time, the fans won't give him as much shit about it. I'd personally prefer it if he didn't come back for another match because quite frankly, everything I loved about the Rock died when the Attitude Era died. It's just not the same Rock. That character was born in a different time, a different energy, and there's no going back to it. He came back, gave us one more run, passed the torch (even if it was to Cena, ugh) and now he's back to making movies. There's nothing left for him to give and we shouldnt ask anymore of him. Wrestlemania will sell itself.

 

[Savior of Silence]

Honestly, if this is true, I think The Rock's best option is to say "fuck it" to Wrestlemania XXX and star in Terminator 5. As the OP said, it's Schwarzenegger's return to the franchise and it is guaranteed to make money hand over fist.

As a side note, it could open the door a little wider for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to make his return to the ring at the 30th installment of the "Showcase of the Immortals". If I'm not mistaken, he's said in past interviews that part of the reason for him not returning for the last few years is not wanting to be overshadowed by The Rock. Well, I'm sure he was a little less specific in his answer, but that's the gist of it.

Regardless of if The Rock is there or not, I'm sure Wrestlemania XXX will have a huge buy-rate as it is sure to be a historic PPV. Don't think for one single, solitary second that Vince won't go out of his way to make this anniversary a memorable one...with or without Dwayne...

 

[sTyLnK]

It's amazing that he came back to wrestle and give back to the fans, but honestly, I think he should just end his in ring career. Hang up his boots for good. If he wants to do like Steve Austin does and show up here and there to have some fun on Raw or a PPV, I'm all for it, but he has nothing left to prove in the ring.

He's obviously one of the most requested actors in Hollywood today, so if he can land some bigger roles like Terminator, that would be pretty darn cool to see. Hey, I'm a huge wrestling fan and I have been since the late 80's, always will be, but I am also one of those people who don't get so sucked into it where I will bad mouth a wrestler because he decides to do something else with his life.

I'd rather him work on a movie like T5 because that will (hopefully) mean that we can have someone currently in the company grab that main event spot. The WWE has a lot of good young talent and I want Vince to push them so they can be "that guy" sooner, rather than later. Because the reality is Vince can't keep going with the big names to try and sell WM PPV buyouts forever. Build up the young talent so they can be "those guys".

 

[HBsam31]

I was not a huge fan of Terminator 4, and I think they could have actually wrapped the story up in 4 as well. Although if they would do a prequel like that article mentioned I think that would definitely renew my interest. That being said I could do without The Rock at Mania 30. I will admit I love when The Rock comes back, but it just isn't the same to me. Something is missing. Don't get me wrong even The Rock with something missing is still better than a lot of what is on now, but I could do without him this year. The idea of him doing a Terminator with Arnold is very appealing especially if they go the route mentioned in the article. If he does get the role you can bet he will take it so whether we like it or not we may not get him this year.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Dwayne Johnson has given enough to this industry. He has every right to focus on his movie career and maybe this time, the fans won't give him as much shit about it.

While I can understand where you're coming from, excluding the whiny and jaded bunch, a lot of those complaints were justified. Rock not being around on a consistent basis completely sucked the life out of the build for the main event at Wrestlemania 29.

Hard to tell if the fans will shit on Rock if (or when) he takes the role in T5, because Rock has reached that untouchable point in his career, where the fans will cheer him and blow the roof off of any arena no matter what. Although, you have to consider the realistic possibility of wrestling fans souring on Rock, if he takes another one of his extended hiatuses.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I'll take this. I mean I have seen enough of The Rock , in a good way, so I don't mind if he doesn't show up at Mania 30. Also, if he don't, Austin might. And that has me titillated.

As for T5, I hope this comes to fruition. If the script is done right, it could be a corker of a movie. Lets see.

 

[TSG]

Thank the Lord.

I'm tired of Brock Lesnar, I'm tired of Triple H, I'm tired of Taker, and I'm tired of The Rock: I'm tired of all these part time guys giving nothing to the show and only coming around 1-2 times a year to steal the spotlight and main event Mania, and it is nothing but detrimental to the WWE.

All this does is take away spotlight from the younger guys, and not let them shine on the biggest stage. Also, all the storylines are built up to the part-timers coming back, so it takes away the opportunities to get the young guys main storylines and letting them build. It's time to stop relying on part-timers for buyrates and letting the young guys develop and have the main storylines and time to shine at Mania. This is a good thing, in my eyes.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

You can't blame The Rock for taking the part. The Terminator is one of the biggest movie franchises of all time and is Guaran-Damn-Teed to make a lot of of money at the box office. They already have other "part timers" Triple H, Undertaker, Lesnar and Jericho coming back to work Mania. I doubt it's going to make hurt buy rates too much. Im worried we're going to end up getting Rock vs Cena 3 if he does return

 

[InstantAttitude]

Damn. Terminator? The G.O.A.T. doing big in the world. I respect Rock's decision no matter what. He's done a lot of the business for the past 2 years and if he's not at WM this year I'd be fine with it. His other career is blasting off and he should focus on that rather than the past.

 

[GameOver]

He doesn't owe anyone anything, he gave his life and soul for 6 straight years back in the late 90's to early 2000's, why would anyone turn down a guarenteed paycheque and a possible movie nomination award for 1 more match in the WWE that would do nothing for his movie career not to mention the risk of getting seriously injured just so people can bash him on the twitter and the likes of here because he doesn't stick around permanently and then if he did there'd be people complaining he's hogging the spotlight .

It's the same argument that kept him away the last time, he came back gave the majority what they wanted and gave the business a temporary boost then soon as that fades it's all his fault again that he doesn't want to or need do it full time. Same with Jericho, Same with Triple H. Same with Taker they all cop flack either way.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For me personally, I'd go with one of the last two options. It'll be nice to see The Rock after such a lengthy absence, if he ultimately does make a return to WWE very late this year or early next year. If he was to show up at WM XXX, that'd be okay but it won't bother me at all if he doesn't have a match.

At the same time, to be honest, I'm over the whole idea of The Rock making a triumphant return to WWE and dominating everything in his path. At WM XXX, we're probably going to have the likes of Taker, Punk, Jericho, Bryan, Cena, Lesnar, Ziggler, Orton, & The Shield involved in high profile matches. The Wyatt Family, hopefully, will be an established force in WWE by then and there might even be some more fresh & interesting talent on the roster from NXT by then.

I'm not putting The Rock down or anything but, let's be honest, it was pretty clear that WWE was very much a secondary priority to Rock this last time he was around. It seemed pretty obvious because he just wasn't in the kind of ring shape this year that he was in back in 2012. He was gassed during his matches with Punk, though I do have to say that he showed a lot of heart in his match with Cena after getting injured. Still even before that, it was pretty obvious that The Rock's cardio wasn't up to par. The Rock had been focused mostly on his weight training to get as buff as he could for the G.I. Joe and Fast & Furious sequels and for the filming of the Hercules movie.

The Terminator is one of the most celebrated action franchises of the past 30 years and I'm sure WWE would love to have The Rock back in time for WM due, in part, to the franchise's legacy. But, as I alluded to earlier, I don't think that Rock is fooling anybody anymore when it comes to where his priorities ultimately lie. Not that I blame him or anything because, let's face it, he's long since done everything to be done in WWE already and the guy's a genuine action movie star making millions each year.

I'm sure The Rock being part of WM XXX would help jack up the buyrate but, personally, I'm kinda over the nostalgia generated by him coming back. At WM 29, WWE did a much better job at hyping & building the overall card of the show than they have in quite some time. Cena vs. Rock II got a lot of build as well, but it wasn't just rammed down our throats and up our asses with every other breath as the build for their first encounter was back in 2012. For the 30th anniversary of WrestleMania, I'd rather see the focus of WWE be about the wrestlers who make WWE a top priority rather than an actor who shows up for the first quarter of the year to have his ego stroked by fans & WWE executives while hocking his movies only to disappear the other 75% of the year.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

Anytime there is an outside opportunity for The Rock, there are those who speculate whether or not he'll be coming back to wrestling. I said it during his 7-year absence and I'll say it now: There's no reason to think he won't return. He doesn't have to wrestle often or at all but as long as the WWE is treating him in an appreciative manner and he has oodles of fans who clamor to see him, he'll remain involved with the company. So he may miss an opportunity to be at WM. It's not like there aren't a gazillion other PPVs that actually may need his name attached to the card for sales. I'm sure he'll be back and everything will be just fine. Right now, he should just make sure that he does everything he can to continue on his path as the greatest action star Hollywood has ever seen.

If the rumors about T5 are true, I am very excited about this. Since The Rock began acting, I always imagined what it would be like if he were to become the next Arnold. And I think a bunch of blockbuster hit action movies later, it's safe to say that he is. Dwayne Johnson benefits from also picking roles in which he could expand his acting resume and he didn't become ashamed of being mainly known for doing summertime, "brainless", action flicks. Here and there, he's done kiddie movies (Toothfairy, Game Plan), tackled dramatic roles (Gridiron Gang, Snitch), and ultimately became a well-rounded actor for someone who is only looked at as an action staple. He ran with it, kept up his appearance, and became a student of the acting game. All of the success he's experiencing now is a result of his passion for acting. The same passion we all took notice of back in his 1998-2003 days as The Rock.

 

[Pedigree1]

Wow if the Rock takes the role in T5 How fucking awesome would that be? The Rock,has done enough in the business.. His place is secure,plus IMO he really needs to hang it up. Pro Wrestling as much as the haters still shit on it,is very dangerous.. The Rock got legitimately hurt last time he was in the ring,his movie career and his bosses cant afford to have him hurt. While WM30 is going to be blockbuster im expecting a 60 dollar PPV price range at least the rock missing from the card will suck..

But Austin might return who knows. Austin has said hes healthy has matches left in him right? But WM30 will mark 11 years since Austin last wrestled a match and thats a long long time to miss. The rock,though his movie career is only getting started. Us true fans love you rock,no matter what role you know and we definitely smell what your cookin and that my friend is success.

 

[MCMG]

I wouldn't say the WWE need The Rock, and he obviously doesn't need them. The main thing is that his presence at Wrestlemania will help buyrates. From a personal level, I have loved the Rock since I was young but his two matches with Punk and Cena were average at best. He might be able to put on a better match with a different opponent and stipulation but it is impossible to guarantee.

If the WWE can get The Rock to perform at WM30 than that is good news for the company and in my own personal viewpoint. There is a very low chance he will be WWE champ so it will probably be a match against Brock Lesnar or something involving the Shield. He wouldn't be at the top of the card or devaluing the main Championship but he will help sell WM30 and be entertaining in the process.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The Rock can do what he wants but I am less likely to watch WM without him. However, I do have faith that Vince can still put on a good show. Austin? Please?

Can Cena stand on his own and generate 1mil buys?

Anyway, is the Terminator franchise worth saving? I'm not convinced this is a good idea for a film. The Rock coming in to a movie franchise for a bump has become kind of cliche. Schwarzenegger has significantly lost his mojo. T2 was 20+ years ago. Somehow I expect James Cameron is not on board.

 

[CMbrose Punk]

While I can understand where you're coming from, excluding the whiny and jaded bunch, a lot of those complaints were justified. Rock not being around on a consistent basis completely sucked the life out of the build for the main event at Wrestlemania 29.

I was talking about the 6 years he was gone, before his return. Everyone was shitting on him for leaving and going off to make movies. I definitely agree that he should've been around more for his return run with the title. It's another reason why I don't want to see him come back, because despite what he says, his movie career comes first. As it should too. I don't understand why so many fans want to see their favorite stars literally give their lives to wrestling. It's as if there isn't going to be a good harvest this year unless we grind these guys into the ground with our insatiable thirst for more. They're always talking about one more match for every guy that has walked away. The Rock, HBK, SCSA, etc. Soon they'll be talking about Edge coming back, if they havent already. So many fans just arent satisfied until they've seen every major wrestler end up like Flair and Hogan: broken empty shells of their former selves trying to relive the glory of the past for the sake of our entertainment. I hope Rock listens to every reasonable mind around him right now, telling him to move on from wrestling and focus solely on his movie career. He's one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood right now and a wrestling career on the side jeopardizes that no matter how you paint it. The risk versus the reward is just not worth it.

 

[The Perfect Max]

Dwayne Johnson is the actor. The Rock is the wrestler. Dwayne Johnson is the present. The Rock is the past. It is that simple. I have loved The Rock since day one, and I think he is one of the greatest of all times, and he is one of my personal favorites. His return to the WWE in 2011 was fantastic and it has been one hell of a road since then. Yes, it has had its bad points, and many can disagree with me, but I thoroughly enjoyed having The Rock back. But, what this run did show us was that the WWE was ready to move on, as was The Rock.

The Rock will always love wrestling and the WWE, I truly believe that, but what he has here is an opportunity to star in one of the biggest upcoming movies. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne Johnson in Terminator 5 just has money all over it, and Johnson would be stupid to turn it down. Why should he? He is one of the biggest draws in Hollywood, and he knows it. Fast Five, Fast Six, GI Joe: Retaliation, Journey 2 and more have seen great numbers, probably because of his presence. T5 would be no different.

It is time for The Rock to move on. Terminator 5, Hercules and more are on the horizon, these movies will be huge, and he deserves to continue this success. He has accomplished everything the WWE has to offer, but hasn't quite conquered Hollywood yet. Until then, don't expect The Rock to be back. My opinion.

In terms of WrestleMania XXX, the event will draw over 1,000,000 PPV buys because it is the 30th anniversary, no doubt about this. The WWE will have John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, The Shield, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, The Undertaker and more to draw. These guys, part time or not, are draws and The Rock's absence will not be noticed. The possibility of Rob Van Dam and Stone Cold Steve Austin being involved as well breathe's new life into the event, and it is time for some new old guys to come back. Yes, I will miss The Rock, but the WWE will not.

 

[sufyaan05]

No it wouldn't be the biggest role in his career.
Terminator 1 and 2 were classics, the franchise was destroyed in 3 and 4.

It won't make no where near as much money as people imagine,
Furious 6 is easily his biggest role to date.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

He obviously should take the role. I think there's no longer any argument that can be made as to whether or not Dwayne Johnson is the biggest action star in Hollywood right now, especially if he lands this role.

I was hoping that they'd induct him into the Hall of Fame prior to Wrestlemania 30 but with this pending role, that doesn't seem like it will happen.

With all of that said, I would like to see him participate in the event if possible. The 30th anniversary of Wrestlemania seems like it HAS to have The Rock as part of it. The Rock is a major part of WWE's history and Wrestlemania's history. I was hoping for an appearance by both him and Stone Cold, even if it was only for Rock to do a promo and then have the glass break and the beer truck drive down to the ring...

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Somehow I expect James Cameron is not on board.

No, he's not. The Ellisons bought the rights to The Terminator franchise back in 2011, but they're going back to Cameron in 2019. My guess is Cameron is too busy with the Avatar sequels to worry about Terminator at the moment.

The Ellisons plan to churn out as many Terminator films as they can before the rights go back to Cameron. Could be good news for The Rock, but I'm worried they'll sacrifice quality for the sake of making as much money and films as possible in a short time span.

 

[Da Solo]

Honestly, screw WMXXX if Terminator is an option. I'd give the Rock no grief if he went on to bigger things. As much as I am a fan of his (both Attitude Rock, Hollywood Rock and the Rock we have now), it's always good to see people succeed.

 

[zee4u2nv]

Wm30 should be the rocks last match.. He deserves that and it should be against HBK!

 

[JustAnotherJames]

I wouldn't care if The Rock missed out on Wrestlemania 30 at all. Okay it's good to see the rock but I think the main event spot deserves to be used as its meant to be, by the winner of the Rumble competing for either the WWE Championship or the WH Championship.

We're just about a quarter way through the new season. WWE should use this time to build up big stars such as Orton and Bryan and Ziggler giving space to build the promoted NXT roster members such as The Shield and the Wyatt Family and Big E and we all know the BO will soon be on his way, to mid card level ready to take that next step when the time is right.