Terminator Salvation

The legally embattled owners of "Terminator" are back -- in court, that is. Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, producers of Warner Bros.' and Sony Pictures' May release "Terminator Salvation," have filed a pair of $30-million lawsuits: One against Santa Barbara hedge fund Pacificor, which lent them money to buy the rights to the science-fiction film series, and another against a former employee of Pacificor who helped arrange the loans. The suits come as Halcyon Co., which is owned by Anderson and Kubicek, has been attempting to raise money to continue operating, according to several people familiar with the situation.

SERIES Doctor Who: The Doctor and Amy (Matt Smith, Karen Gillan) time travel to a futuristic Britain in this new episode of the sci-fi series (6 and 9 p.m. BBC America). America's Worst Driver: New York City is the next stop for this reality series (10 p.m. Travel). The Wanda Sykes Show: "Breaking Bad's" Bryan Cranston drops by for the season finale (11 p.m. Fox). Saturday Night Live: Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious") is tonight's host, with musical guests MGMT (11:29 p.m. NBC)

Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek were having lunch at the Italian cafe Il Piccolino in West Hollywood in the fall of 2006 when they were served up an irresistible dish that wasn't on the menu. The two men were presented with the chance to buy one of the best-known franchises in American cinema, the "Terminator" series, even though their entire producing experience consisted of one low-budget comedy that never made it into theaters.

After 26 years and five owners, the rights to make future "Terminator" movies have landed in the hands of a Santa Barbara hedge fund called Pacificor. A federal Bankruptcy Court judge awarded Pacificor the rights Wednesday over heated objections from Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. The two companies had bid together in a controversial auction held Monday evening. Pacificor purchased the rights from Halcyon Group -- the bankrupt production company behind last year's "Terminator Salvation" -- for $29.5 million plus $5 million for each sequel produced.

Three companies belonging to Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, owners of the "Terminator" franchise rights and producers of May's "Terminator Salvation," filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles Monday, the same day that the two producers sued their primary investor and one of its former employees. Although "Terminator Salvation" has sold a healthy $370 million worth of tickets around the world and has yet to be released on DVD, Anderson and Kubicek didn't make a payment demanded by Santa Barbara hedge fund Pacificor, which financed their $30-million purchase of the "Terminator" rights in 2007 and made two subsequent loans to their Halcyon Co. production firm worth $9 million.

This week the "Terminator" franchise returns to theaters with its darkest chapter yet, a relentless, spirit-crushing vision of the future where humans are snuffed by killer robots. There are not a lot of lighthearted moments in this film, but you might hear chuckles in the theater during the screen credits because of one line: "A McG film." McG? ? Let the eye-rolling begin.

Terminator Salvation Warner, $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99 In the fourth film in the "Terminator" series, Christian Bale plays the 2018 version of John Connor, now leading the human resistance against Skynet's robot army. Sam Worthington plays Marcus Wright, a human who's been converted into a man-machine hybrid. As Connor and Wright first fight then unite, "Terminator Salvation" raises questions about the foundations of humanity -- questions that were handled far more intelligently on the TV series " Battlestar Galactica."

Sipping hot tea on a recent morning in Studio City, the Russian-born actor Anton Yelchin could have passed for one of the thousands of scruffy, out-of-work musicians who roam the Valley with unruly hair, an aura of angst and their "Repo Man" wardrobes. Yelchin, still eager to prove himself after almost a decade making feature films, was a practiced study in low-profile excitement. "These two movies," he said, "are special." Special indeed. This month, Yelchin has an appointment with fanboy-film destiny.

"Terminator Salvation" is a boys-and-their-toys-gone-wild, eardrum-shattering, metal-shredding vision of a post-Judgment Day world at war that up to now we've mostly glimpsed in Sarah Connor's fever dreams. (For anyone asking, "Sarah who?," we'll get back to that momentarily.

Hollywood could be looking at its biggest Memorial Day weekend ever. With two big-budget "event" films opening and both expected to perform very well, if not quite spectacularly, total ticket sales Friday through Monday could easily surpass the $254.6-million record that, according to Hollywood.com Box Office, was set in 2007. It has been four years since studios released two major pictures against each other over Memorial Day weekend.

Lions Gate Entertainment has taken a lead in the bidding for "Terminator," but competition for rights to the 26-year-old science fiction franchise is likely to heat up in the next month. In a federal Bankruptcy Court filing Wednesday, Halcyon Group, the independent production company owned by Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, asked a judge to approve naming Lions Gate as "stalking horse" bidder for the "Terminator" rights. The two producers put the film rights up for sale in September to raise cash as they work their way out of Chapter 11 reorganization.

Where you've seen her Bryce Dallas Howard made her mark in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" (2004). She jumped in with him again in 2006's "Lady in the Water" and resurfaced in Kenneth Branagh's "As You Like It" the same year. When not appearing in major franchises ("Spider-Man 3" as Gwen Stacy; "Terminator Salvation" as Kate Connor; 2010's "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" as Victoria), she's developing material with as many as nine writers and producing Gus Van Sant's next project.

Terminator Salvation Warner, $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99 In the fourth film in the "Terminator" series, Christian Bale plays the 2018 version of John Connor, now leading the human resistance against Skynet's robot army. Sam Worthington plays Marcus Wright, a human who's been converted into a man-machine hybrid. As Connor and Wright first fight then unite, "Terminator Salvation" raises questions about the foundations of humanity -- questions that were handled far more intelligently on the TV series " Battlestar Galactica."

If you've been having vaguely foreboding feelings lately, they may not just be coming from all that reality TV you've been watching. It could be because end-of-the-world movies have been out in force all year. Filmmakers have always gloried in doomsday scenarios, whether from humanity's own making ("The Day After Tomorrow"), biblical battles ("The Omen") or wayward celestial bodies ("Armageddon," "Deep Impact"). But this year they've really been pouring on the mayhem in ways both fun and frightening, making us think a lot these days about the end of days.

The rights to "Terminator" are up for sale yet again. Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, who acquired the science-fiction franchise in 2007 for $25 million and produced this year's sequel "Terminator Salvation," are looking to sell the rights as several companies owned by the two producers work their way through Chapter 11 reorganization. Anderson and Kubicek's Halcyon Holding Group has engaged financial advisory firm FTI Capital Advisors, pending approval by U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, to "evaluate strategic alternatives," according to a statement.

Three companies belonging to Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, owners of the "Terminator" franchise rights and producers of May's "Terminator Salvation," filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles Monday, the same day that the two producers sued their primary investor and one of its former employees. Although "Terminator Salvation" has sold a healthy $370 million worth of tickets around the world and has yet to be released on DVD, Anderson and Kubicek didn't make a payment demanded by Santa Barbara hedge fund Pacificor, which financed their $30-million purchase of the "Terminator" rights in 2007 and made two subsequent loans to their Halcyon Co. production firm worth $9 million.

Where you've seen her Bryce Dallas Howard made her mark in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" (2004). She jumped in with him again in 2006's "Lady in the Water" and resurfaced in Kenneth Branagh's "As You Like It" the same year. When not appearing in major franchises ("Spider-Man 3" as Gwen Stacy; "Terminator Salvation" as Kate Connor; 2010's "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" as Victoria), she's developing material with as many as nine writers and producing Gus Van Sant's next project.

Christian Bale was the man in the cape in the biggest film of 2008, "The Dark Knight," but next year he steps into a new mega-franchise as John Connor, the man who fights Skynet and its legions of machines in "The Terminator" films. Director McG ("We Are Marshall") is taking over for the fourth film in the series -- "Terminator Salvation" -- and the first that doesn't star a certain California politician. The film is set in 2018.

The legally embattled owners of "Terminator" are back -- in court, that is. Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek, producers of Warner Bros.' and Sony Pictures' May release "Terminator Salvation," have filed a pair of $30-million lawsuits: One against Santa Barbara hedge fund Pacificor, which lent them money to buy the rights to the science-fiction film series, and another against a former employee of Pacificor who helped arrange the loans. The suits come as Halcyon Co., which is owned by Anderson and Kubicek, has been attempting to raise money to continue operating, according to several people familiar with the situation.

One serves up the glorious Krabby Patty; the other metes out pitiless death. You might think that a gregarious sponge who is fond of red ties and speaks crystal clear English underwater has little in common with a time-traveling, red-eyed killing machine whose default language setting comes with a heavy Germanic accent. And that's where you would be wrong. Spongy, dead wrong.