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Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

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Arnold Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon final

A film set is home to numerous departments, whose workers all strive to make the best movie possible — and the weapons master may be one of the most intense positions of them all. Especially on a "Terminator" movie.

Any movie you see that features a weapon, whether a knife or a rocket launcher, has someone behind the scenes who is responsible for its safekeeping at all times.

That person is often called a weapons master but sometimes goes by the title armorer, weapons specialist, or weapons handler. 

The position is a fairly new one in the over 100-year history of cinema.

For decades, prop masters were responsible for the dummy weapons used on movie sets. But around the 1980s prop departments began to hire people who not only would focus on the fake weapons (which either fire blanks or don't fire at all) and the safety of the cast/crew, but also have encyclopedic knowledge of the weapons used for the film.

Harry Lu, a 25-year vet of the movie business, was one of the first people given the title of weapons master. Director James Cameron pegged him with the title during the making of 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

harry lu 2Since then, Lu has worked on some of the biggest action movies of the past few decades, including "Armageddon," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, and the two most recent "Mission: Impossible" movies, among others.

Lu's most recent work can be seen in "Terminator Genisys," in theaters now. And as he told Business Insider, one of the biggest challenges on the film was finding a suitable gun for the film's female lead, Emilia Clarke, who plays heroine Sarah Connor.

"The original script called for a gun that," realistically, "would be way too big for Sarah Connor to be lugging around," Lu told Business Insider. "We ended up giving her a gun that by the time shooting started she would be able to handle with no problem."

To get Clarke prepared to use guns in the film, Lu had Clarke go on a training regimen similar to the one he gave Linda Hamilton (who originally played Sarah Connor) in "Terminator 2."

Terminator Genisys Emilia ClarkeAlong with weight training for months before production began, Lu would take Clarke out to the gun range once a week for two hours using real ammunition. Lu said this is done so actors can feel the weight and real force of the firearm in order to replicate the actions when on set. Clarke was also taught how to take apart the rifles and handguns she used for target practice and reassemble them.

As "Terminator Genisys" varies in time — traveling back to 1984 when the franchise's original film, "The Terminator," was set, as well as taking place in 2017 and 2029 — Lu also had to go over the script before shooting began to make sure the weapons were authentic to the era in which they were seen being used. Especially in regard to the past.

Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon"In the script, the 1984-era police were using Beretta M9 handguns," Lu said. "Having owned a gun shop in LA during the '80s, I've sent a lot of cadets to the police academy, so I know all the equipment from that era. In the case of the Beretta, I knew the academy didn't get that until 1988 or '89, so we used revolvers instead for those scenes."

Lu estimates that around 700 weapons were used on "Terminator Genisys." And though there is plenty of danger and excitement that goes into making sure all of those are used safely and properly on set, there are times when being a weapons master requires just making sure the weapons look their best.

"In the armory scene," said Lu, recalling a scene in which the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) brings Connor and Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to a large bunker of guns he has amassed, "that alone had 200 weapons. And me, my son, and another person had to wipe them down every day."

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger's makeup transformation for "Terminator Genisys"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films


Let's take a minute to talk about how crazy it is that 'Power Rangers' even exists

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power rangers

Twenty years ago this week, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" premiered in theaters across America. For boys and girls of a certain age, this was a very big deal. "Power Rangers" was huge, premiering in 1993 and immediately making headlines like "The Mighty Nielson Power Rangers" thanks to it's overnight success.

Of course, those news stories would also berate the series for "silly, non-menacing, obviously fake monsters, cheesy production, low-tech special effects and sometimes hokey stories." But it was a hit, because it was all about teens who beat up monsters and pilot giant dinosaur-shaped robots, two things every kid wants to do the second they get out of school (which was, by design, when the series aired). 

Power Ranger Zords

But when you consider how it was made, it's absolutely crazy that the "Power Rangers" TV series succeeded to spawn a franchise that's still going strong to this very day, with roughly 20 iterations on the classic formula so far. Or that enough people in charge of various companies saw it and said "Yes, this is a great idea, let's do it! Teenagers with attitude!"

In case you aren't someone who compulsively googles the history of children's television shows, what makes "Power Rangers" an unlikely success story isn't that its premise is absurd (it totally is) but that its production was. 

Essentially, what we call "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" was in fact two separate productions. The meat of "Power Rangers" comes from Japanese Super Sentai series — shows about color-coordinated superhero teams using martial arts to take on rubber monsters. What "Power Rangers" did was take footage from these Super Sentai shows, film completely new footage with an American cast and crew, and splice them together to make a half-hour action series for children.

The costumed fight scenes and giant robot confrontations were almost always dubbed Japanese footage, while the "Saved By the Bell" style high school cheesiness was used to weld a crude story arc to each episode and season.

It was the kid's TV equivalent of Frankenstein's Monster, given life by a mad TV executive to become something big enough to spawn a Hollywood movie.  

And what a movie.

"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is, objectively, terrible. It has terrible acting, terrible special effects, terrible writing and terrible music on its soundtrack. 

 But "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is also kind of amazing. Just look at this making-of featurette!

Look at those goofy bird monsters!

Power Rangers goofy bird monstersThose goofy ooze monsters!

Power Rangers goofy ooze monstersThe awful CGI that looks like "Beast Wars" in a miniature city! How excited Jason David Frank (the White Ranger) is to talk about anything! And They Might Be Giants was on the soundtrack!

On its twentieth anniversary, I probably will not watch "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie." But I will definitely think about it a lot. Take a moment to think about it with me.

Lol.

SEE ALSO: 'Breaking Bad' actor Bryan Cranston on the time he voiced a 'Power Rangers' monster

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This classic '90s video game is getting a major overhaul and we just saw it in action for the first time

Here's the incredibly detailed 'Star Wars Episode VII' Stormtrooper toy fans will be going crazy over at San Diego Comic-Con

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star wars black series stormtrooper

San Diego Comic-Con is fast approaching.

The annual event, held at the San Diego Convention Center, will be held from July 9-12. 

Costumed fans will head out for a chance to see some of their favorite stars from film and TV, but also for the exclusive toys and items that can only be bought on the convention floor.

Hasbro will be among those to have a few special edition items at the Con, including the company's first toy for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," out in theaters December.

The 6-inch First Order Stormtrooper will be a part of the "Star Wars: The Black Series," and will be available for $25.99 at booth #3329 at SDCC.

If you're not heading to Comic-Con, you'll also be able to order the new "Star Wars" stormtrooper through HasbroToyShop.com.

The folks over at Hasbro sent over one of the new Stormtroopers. 

Let's take a look at what you can expect!

The packaging on the box is pretty impressive.

star wars black series.JPGDisney and Hasbro aren't messing around.

star wars force awakens black series.JPGHere's a look at the back of the box:

star wars the force awakens stormtrooper.JPGA look at the side panel tells us a little more on our friend inside!

star wars the force awakens first order storm trooper box

Here's the text so you don't have to squint. It provides some excellent background on how the Clone Troopers went from a symbol for peace to one that was eventually feared in the galaxy.

Shock troopers clad in white armor first appeared on the Galactic stage during the opening battles of the Clone Wars. Clone Trooper armor became iconic almost immediately: its stark white design stood for hope that peace and stability might be restored to a galaxy at war. But this dream of peace died with the republic, and the empire that rose to take its place imposed order by any means necessary. Soldiers within the grand army of the republic were given a new name: Stormtroopers. as these former protectors of galactic peace mercilessly crushed resistance across the galaxy, their white armor came to symbolize oppression and the indomitable power of the Emperor's will. Yet the tyranny of imperial rule sparked rebellion, and the Stormtrooper legions were scattered in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. Now, the rise of the First Order ushers in the next chapter in the Stormtrooper's legacy as a new era of ruthless brutality begins.

Okay. Enough of staring at the package. Let's open this up and see the actual figure.

star wars black series first order stormtrooperstar wars first order stormtrooper toy.JPGstar wars black series first order troop.JPGThough the box says ages four and up, the guns are a bit tiny. I'd be wary of giving them to a four-year old.

star wars the black series stormtrooper first orderHeading back to the box for a second, you'll find there's a booklet in the backside. Let's take her out.

star wars first order stormtrooper bookletAs the box suggests, the booklet tells the evolution of the Stormtrooper with simple drawings and text showing how it has changed over the years of "Star Wars" mythos.

sdcc hasbro star wars bookletclone trooper star wars black series sdccThe text reads:

From its earliest appearance during the Clone Wars, the iconic white armor of the Clone Trooper symbolized galactic peace and stability. Its design reflected the stark aesthetic of its Kaminoan creators, but it also drew inspiration from the Mandalorian shock trooper armor worn by clone template Jango Fett. Although Phase I armor offered superior protection in combat, it was uncomfortable to wear, particularly while seated.

There are only four phases, so let's go through them all real quick.

stormtrooper star wars phase 2The Phase II armor was "significantly more comfortable." It was also significantly cooler.

stormtrooper phase 2Phase 3 consists of the classic Stormtrooper look from the original trilogy —a "symbol for terror and oppression."

star wars stormtrooper phase 3stormtrooper phase 3And here's the fourth phase, the First Order Stormtrooper. Details on the new Stormtroopers are scarce. We're not surprised. Disney has been keeping everything "Episode VII" related under lock in key until the film's release — especially when it comes to merchandising.

We're sure we'll learn more about these Stormtroopers as the film's December release draws near.stormtrooper first order star warsfirst order stormtrooper drawing.JPGHere are all the helmets lined up side by side:

stormtrooper evolutionAll right. Now back to the toy.

I'm about to do something that's going to make some toy collectors very upset.

stormtrooper force awakens black series hasbroYes! I took him out of the box. 

star wars the force awakens first order stromtrooper.JPGThe best thing about this Black Series First Order Stormtrooper is how remarkably poseable he is. Every joint — his hands, his knees, and even his ankles move.

The detail put into the actual figurine is incredible, too. 

The gun slips right into the Stormtroopers' hand with his finger steady on the trigger.

stormtrooper force awakens.JPGSee that spot right there?

gun holster star warsYou can pop the little blaster right in there!

stormtrooper star warsMost important, you can pose him to look exactly how he does on the box.

first order stormtrooper.JPGNext stop Comic-Con!

first order stormtrooper star wars force awakens.JPG

SEE ALSO: Marvel's "Star Wars" comic made a huge change to Han Solo

AND: Why the costumes in "The Force Awakens" will be different than the original trilogy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The new 'Star Wars' game is a love letter to 'Star Wars' superfans

9 gorgeous pieces of concept art from 'Terminator Genisys'

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terminator genisys sarah connor emilia clarke"Terminator Genisys" is out in theaters this weekend. 

In conjunction with the film's release publisher Insight Editions released a making-of book, "Teminator Genisys: Resetting the Future," filled with gorgeous concept artwork, storyboards, and interviews with the cast and crew of the film.

Insight Editions shared a few pieces of art from the new release, along with a few exclusive images, with Business Insider.

Check them out below.

"Terminator Genisys" kicks off in the year 2029 as a war between machine and man rages onward.

 

 

 



Los Angeles lay in ruins after the fallout from Judgment Day — the day the AI Skynet became self-aware and saw humanity as a threat.



We get a better look at the apocalyptic desolation first described to us in James Cameron's 1984 introduction to the Terminator franchise.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What the stars of the 'Terminator' movies look like 31 years later

Here’s the story behind Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous flip shotgun from ‘Terminator 2’

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terminator 2 judgment day

One of the indelible images from the 1991 blockbuster hit“Terminator 2: Judgement Day” is the Terminator’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) trusty shotgun he uses throughout the movie.

And what made it iconic was how he used it — flipping it to reload. A move that had never been seen attempted with that gun before (or since) in movies.

terminator shotgun flip 1According to Harry Lu, who was weapons master on the film (he also has the same role in “Terminator Genisys,” currently in theaters), the idea of the fancy way to reload the gun came from director James Cameron.

“James was looking at ‘The Rifleman’ and some other old westerns,” Lu recalls. The director told Lu he wanted Schwarzenegger’s shotgun to be able to twirl like how a cowboy on the shows did with their six-shooters.

gun flipLu decided the sawed-off 1887 Winchester 12-gauge shotgun would make the most sense, but he recalls, “After I opened my mouth, I kicked myself in the butt.”

He said the custom work on the gun for the purposes of the film meant he had to play with weight distribution, balance, and especially the internal mechanism.

“It’s one of those things the audience doesn't think about, but the shotgun shell worked with a pull cable and every time the gate opened the shell wants to fly out,” Lu said. “So I finally found a way to correct that.”

Lu also had to create a larger loop on the gun so Schwarzenegger could flip it successfully.

Lu spent a month and a half before the film began production finishing all of the custom work on the shotgun. Then he had to train Schwarzenegger how to use it.

“I went to his house and showed him how to use it and we practiced constantly,” he recalls. “He was actually able to take it on pretty fast.”

Schwarzenegger put his skills on display in the movie when the Terminator, while on a motorcycle, shoots at the rival Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), and flip-cocks it while riding.

terminator shotgun flip 2As Schwarzenegger once famously saidI have a love interest in every one of my films  a gun.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

MORE: THEN & NOW: The cast of the original 'Terminator' movies

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak says Steve Jobs movie trailer is 'exaggerated'

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Steve wozniak talking in a microphone

Following the release of the trailer for Danny Boyle’s biopic “Steve Jobs,” Bloomberg Business reached out to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to get his thoughts. And though he said he liked the trailer, he notes inaccuracies.

Particularly the dialogue Seth Rogen, who plays Wozniak in the film, says at the beginning of the trailer to Jobs, played by Michael Fassbender.

At the start of the trailer we hear the Wozniak character in voiceover say to Jobs:

“What do you do? You’re not an engineer, you’re not a designer. You can’t put a hammer to a nail. I built the circuit board. The graphical interface was stolen. So how come, 10 times in a day, I read Steve Jobs is a genius? What do you do?”

“I don’t talk that way,” Wozniak told Bloomberg Business via e-mail. “I would never accuse the graphical interface of being stolen. I never made comments to the effect that I had credit (genius) taken from me.”

Wozniak continued: “The lines I heard spoken were not things I would say but carried the right message, at least partly. I felt a lot of the real Jobs in the trailer, although a bit exaggerated.”

Seth Rogen Wozniak final

The film, which opens October 9 and is based on Walter Isaacson's Jobs biography, looks at the life of Jobs from his rise in Silicon Valley as the co-founder of Apple to his death due to a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2011.

According to the Bloomberg story, Wozniak consulted with the film's screenwriter Aaron Sorkin before the script was written and met the cast, even having dinner with Rogen.

The film also stars Kate Winslet as original Macintosh member, Joanna Hoffman, and Jeff Daniels as former Apple CEO, John Sculley

See the "Steve Jobs" trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says the best Steve Jobs film is this 1999 made-for-TV movie

Join the conversation about this story »

21 Things 'Back To The Future 2' Got Wrong About 2015

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hover board back to the future 2If there's one movie you should rewatch this year, it's "Back to the Future 2."

Director Robert Zemeckis' 1989 film sends Marty McFly and Doc Brown to the year 2015.

Did the film get it right? Not exactly.

While it predicted Skype calls and virtual-reality headsets, the film got plenty wrong — including hoverboards though we're getting close).

However, Zemeckis mentions in a featurette for the film he didn't plan to get the future right, explaining he was not a fan of seeing it depicted in movies. 

"Back to the Future 2" debuted in theaters 26 years ago on July 3. See what the film got wrong.

We may have electric cars, but we're still a little while away from ones that fly.

We're getting there, though.



2015 may be fond of superheroes on the big screen, but we're not dressing like them just yet.



We've come close, but we're still waiting around for an actual working model of a hoverboard. It didn't help that Zemeckis tricked fans into thinking the toy was real in a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film.

It looks like Lexus may be pretty close.

(Sources: "Back to the Future 2" featurette / Nerdist)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

25 Wall Street movies to watch over the hot holiday weekend

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Bonfire of the VanitiesThe stock market is closed today.

It's the Fourth of July holiday and you'll probably be nursing a hangover and perhaps a sunburn over the next few days.

So why not kick back on the couch in the air conditioning and watch one of these Wall Street movies while you recover? 

You'll definitely enjoy yourself, and you might even learn something.

 

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

In a sentence: It's a heartwarming classic that will never get old. 

Plot: A guardian angel shows businessman George Bailey what life would be like if he never existed. 

Genre: Family



Trading Places (1983)

In a sentence: No movie about Wall Street is funnier than the 1983 comedy "Trading Places."

Plot: Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd are at their best as director John Landis tells the tale of how one man's fall from Wall Street is another man's blessing. Watching Murphy talk about futures and markets is hilarious and unparalleled in humor.

Genre: Comedy



Trader (1987)

In a sentence: Brilliant... If you can find it.

Plot: Made in 1987 during the raging bull-market, this little-known documentary stars Paul Tudor Jones and chronicles his day-to-day life as an active investor. Jones uses techniques like historical chart reading, taken from Jesse Livermore, to predict the Black Monday crash on film. Even though it portrays Jones in a positive light, finding a (legitimate and legal) copy of this movie is nearly impossible to find as it's rumored that Jones bought all 1000 copies in existence.

Genre: Documentary



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Oscar winner J.K. Simmons is way underused in 'Terminator Genisys'

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JK Simmons 2 final

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

"Terminator Genisys" (now in theaters) doesn’t disappoint when it comes to incredible action sequences and dry, robot-like humor from an aged but not obsolete Terminator, played, for the first time in 12 years, by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But what the film fails miserably at is using the most talented actor in the cast.

J.K. Simmons has been known best for years as a scene-stealing character actor from movies like 2007’s indie hit "Juno" or playing the cigar-chomping editor of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, in the Tobey Maguire-era "Spider-Man" movies.

jk simmons spidermanBut following his 2014 performance as a demanding band instructor in "Whiplash," Simmons' name and face have become more prominent to audiences as he won an Oscar for best supporting actor for the role earlier this year. He also stars in the Farmers Insurance commercials.

JK Simmong whiplashWhile many were excited to see Simmons pop up in the trailers for "Genisys," sadly it showed all his best moments in the film.

JK Simmons Kevin Winter Getty

Simmons is great in the movie, but he gets about five minutes of total screen time.

Why hire a talent like Simmons if you’re going to underuse him?

Simmons plays a doofy cop named O’Brien who's convinced there are soldiers from the future living among us. This is because back in 1984 he and his partner attempted to arrest a soldier from the future named Kyle Reese, but were interrupted when a Terminator stepped in, killing O'Brien’s partner before trying to kill him and Reese.

If you're not into "Terminator" lore, here's a quick refresher.

In "The Terminator" (1984) the future is a postapocalyptic wasteland controlled by machines. The humans left have teamed to fight the machines, led by John Connor. Kyle Reese (played by Michael Biehn) goes back in time on the orders of Connor to protect his mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton), from a Terminator (Schwarzenegger) who has also gone back in time to kill her. Basically, if the mother is killed, the machines don’t have to worry about dealing with John.

"Terminator Genisys" plays on the original film's plot. The Terminator has been sent back in time. Connor has Reese (this time played by Jai Courtney) go after him. But things have changed, and the past is altered compared to what we remember from the original movie.

sarah connor terminator genisysRead our review of "Genisys" that gets more into the plot. 

Getting back to O’Brien. Now having witnessed a Terminator in action and believing Reese’s story that he is from the future, we now fast-forward to 2017 where O’Brien once more (now played by Simmons) crosses paths with Reese.

In the present, Reese has time-traveled with a young Sarah Connor (“Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke) in hopes to destroy the company that is responsible for the Armageddon, Skynet.

Perhaps we could have gotten more Simmons time if the film didn’t have to get into the multiple time travels. Regardless, this is the only part of the film where Simmons appears.

JK Simmons 3He is great as the bumbling (perhaps inebriated) detective who is a true believer among the world of skeptics who think Reese and Connor are two naked wackos (again, for those with a lack of "Terminator" history, you can’t wear clothes when time-traveling).

As the scenes in this section of the film progress — a hospital where Reese and Connor are questioned by the police — Simmons is roaming around saying funny one-liners, and when danger arrives for the pair he helps them escape.

Frankly, an unknown could have played the role.

It was probably a nice check for Simmons and an entertaining couple of days' work. But for fans of his work, don’t expect getting anything close to what he’s capable of.

But Simmons does have meatier projects lined up, with eight projects through 2016, including The Accountant,” which stars Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick. As well as the latest King Kong reboot, “Kong: Skull Island.

Let’s hope he shows up on screen longer than just a couple of minutes.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

SEE ALSO: Meet the bodybuilder who plays Arnold Schwarzenegger's body double in "Terminator Genisys"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films

25 movies that will make you proud to be an American

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Saving Private Ryan

We understand that a list of the most American films could run 239 items long — the number of years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It's an outlandish dream to narrow that list to 25, but hey, this is America. Dare to dream.

We rounded up the movies that will stir your nostalgia for the red-white-and-blue, and a few titles just for fun — listed in order of release.

"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942): George M. Cohan (James Cagney) finds his place in musical theater history, writing "Over There,""The Yankee Doodle Boy," and "You're A Grand Old Flag" over the course of his life.



"1776" (1972): Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (William Daniels) peer-pressure Thomas Jefferson — in song and dance — to write the Declaration of Independence days before the Fourth.

Watch it here.



"All The President's Men" (1976): Reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) investigate the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal for The Washington Post.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Batman wasn't originally supposed to be in the 'Batman v Superman' movie

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batman superman ew cover

Next March, we'll finally see "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" when it comes to theaters, but it wasn't always planned to include the Caped Crusader.

According to an EW cover story on the highly-anticipated "Man of Steel" sequel, "Batman v Superman" was originally supposed to be just that, a sequel to 2013's Superman reboot featuring Henry Cavill where Metallo was set to be the main villain.

Batman was nothing more than a passing suggestion from director Zack Snyder to "The Dark Knight" trilogy director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer during a meeting.

But of course, you can never just bring up Bruce Wayne and Batman when discussing Superman.

Via EW:

"'I remember we were talking about 'What's the next villain'" Snyder says. "'We can't do another alien invasion.' Brainiac was definitely down the road. Metallo, I think, was going to be the main bad guy of this movie." Then out of the blue, in a meeting with screenwriter David S. Goyer and executive producer Christopher Nolan, Snyder made a suggestion. "I said, 'What about at the end of the movie we do a scene where there's a crate full of kryptonite delivered to Wayne Manor.' Everyone was like... 'Okaay.' Once you say it out loud it's a problem because you can't unsay it."

And the rest of history.

We'll finally see the two do battle March 25, 2016 when "Batman v Superman" is released in theaters.

You can view the preview of the full EW article here and view new photos from the upcoming film here.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Batman's suit will look in "Batman v Superman"

AND: Here's the scene from the "Batman v Superman" trailer you won't see online or in theaters

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This Lego version of the 'Batman v. Superman' trailer is absolute gold

Why the new Terminator movie had to come out this year

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terminator genisys young terminator

Usually, you hear horror stories about movies that took an incredibly long time to make it from development to the big screen. 

But that wasn't the case for "Terminator Genisys" which was rushed into production in a race against the copyright clock. If it didn't come out this year, then there might not have been thoughts of a new "Terminator" movie.

The "Terminator" franchise has bounced from studio to studio since the original was released in 1984. Director James Cameron originally sold the rights to the film for $1 to producer Gale Anne Hurd. The stipulation of this agreement was that Cameron would be allowed to direct "The Terminator."

At the time, Cameron was a young, untested director. His only previous directing credit was "Pirahna Part Two: The Spawning." If he didn't sell the rights, then he might not have gotten the chance to bring his own idea to life.

Cameron recently said he regrets his decision to sell the rights.

“I wish I hadn’t sold the rights for one dollar,” Cameron told the Toronto Sun in 2009. “If I had a little time machine and I could only send back something the length of a tweet, it’d be — ‘Don’t sell.’ ”

James Cameron TerminatorOrion Pictures and Hemdale Pictures first owned the rights to 1984's "The Terminator. Since then, the rights have bounced around to TriStar ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), and Warner Brothers ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" and "Terminator Salvation").

Siblings Megan (Annapurna Pictures) and David (Skydance Productions) Ellison picked up the rights for the "Terminator" franchise back in 2013 after an intense bidding war which included Lionsgate and Sony.

However, in 2019, Cameron will finally regain ownership of the franchise he created, regardless of whether or not any new films are made between now and then. New changes in copyright law now work in Cameron's favor.

According to Deadline, changes in the law means that copyright reversion now occurs after 35 years. "The Terminator" was released in 1984. Therefore, 2019 is the year that Cameron would get it back. 

terminator genisysThis gives the Ellisons only four years to flesh out a trilogy. Normally, sequels aren't announced until after it has been proven whether or not a film is a hit. In the case of "Terminator Genisys," this was the plan all along. 

While no official sequel has been announced yet, it is clear that there has been a plan for a trilogy from the get-go. When screenwriters Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier were writing "Genisys," they always viewed it as the start of a trilogy working alongside Skydance Production's David Ellison and CCO Dana Goldberg, according to new release "Terminator Genisys: Resetting the Future."

Gambling on a sequel before even knowing how well the predecessor does is risky, but this has led the crew behind the new "Terminator" trilogy to get more ambitious. 

In an interview with /film, David Ellison cited "Lord of the Rings" and Star Wars" as two of his favorite trilogies, and he wants his "Terminator" trilogy to reach that level. So, he is taking a similar approach to it.

"...those two have one thing in common which was they were all written prior to shooting a frame of the first movie. They knew they were going to, so you weren’t having to figure it out as you go along." Ellison said.

"Terminator Genisys" hits theaters on July 1.

SEE ALSO: A messy story stops 'Terminator Genisys' from being a great sequel

AND: Why it took 10 years to bring "Jurassic World" to theaters

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NOW WATCH: Here's the 'Terminator' trailer that just aired during the Super Bowl

Arnold Schwarzenegger fought with James Cameron over one deleted scene in 'Terminator 2'

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Terminator 2

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time.

Rather than imitating the original, it pushed this world forward and turned Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from terrifying villain to heroic savior. 

But making something this good isn't always a smooth ride. "Terminator 2" had to go through multiple changes before ruling the box office in 1991. The ending was originally much happier. And then, they needed to cut the film's running time down even more.

During a Q&A Schwarzenegger gave after a "Terminator Genisys" fan screening in New York on Wednesday, the actor was asked if there were any scenes cut from the film that he disagreed with the director about.

While Schwarzenegger couldn't recall anything from "Genisys," he remembered an argument he and director James Cameron had over which scene should be cut in order to shorten the film's running time.

"There was a disagreement I remember on the second 'Terminator' because we screened the movie and it was two hours and twenty minutes," said Schwarzenegger. "And so I said to James Cameron, 'The movie's too long.' And he says to me, 'Why do you say that?' It just felt like to me at a certain point, okay, let's get it done."

After some struggle, Cameron decided to cut a scene in which Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) have to remove Terminator's brain.  

"It was shot in a very remarkable way with the mirror effect and all this stuff. And it was a three minute and thirty second scene." Schwarzenegger remembered. 

There was just one problem. 

Schwarzenegger loved that scene.

"He says I'm gonna take that scene out to shorten the movie ... just to pay me back," said Arnold. "And, I said to him, 'No, no! That's one of my favorite scenes! You can't take that out!'" 

'He says 'No, I have to, because that's the way we shorten the movie. Then I have to work on some other scenes,'" recalled Schwarzenegger.

Terminator 2Terminator 2 "And so he took that scene out and we had a little fight about that." Schwarzenegger said.

Though he was upset to let the scene go, he understands that this is what had to be done. After all, cutting the movie down was his idea in the first place.

"But then I had to let it go because we wanted to cut down the length of the movie." Schwarzenegger said.

Schwarzenegger will be back as T-800 in "Terminator Genisys," which will be out in theaters on July 1.

Watch the deleted scene below:

 

SEE ALSO: This deleted 'Terminator 2' scene gave everyone a happy ending

AND: Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up to a fan screening for the next 'Terminator' movie and took a selfie with everyone in the theater

AND: Arnold Schwarzenegger: The majority of people in Hollywood said I'd never make it as an actor

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The original 1993 'Jurassic Park' cast today

Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

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Arnold Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon final

A film set is home to numerous departments, whose workers all strive to make the best movie possible — and the weapons master may be one of the most intense positions of them all. Especially on a "Terminator" movie.

Any movie you see that features a weapon, whether a knife or a rocket launcher, has someone behind the scenes who is responsible for its safekeeping at all times.

That person is often called a weapons master but sometimes goes by the title armorer, weapons specialist, or weapons handler. 

The position is a fairly new one in the over 100-year history of cinema.

For decades, prop masters were responsible for the dummy weapons used on movie sets. But around the 1980s prop departments began to hire people who not only would focus on the fake weapons (which either fire blanks or don't fire at all) and the safety of the cast/crew, but also have encyclopedic knowledge of the weapons used for the film.

Harry Lu, a 25-year vet of the movie business, was one of the first people given the title of weapons master. Director James Cameron pegged him with the title during the making of 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

harry lu 2Since then, Lu has worked on some of the biggest action movies of the past few decades, including "Armageddon," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, and the two most recent "Mission: Impossible" movies, among others.

Lu's most recent work can be seen in "Terminator Genisys," in theaters now. And as he told Business Insider, one of the biggest challenges on the film was finding a suitable gun for the film's female lead, Emilia Clarke, who plays heroine Sarah Connor.

"The original script called for a gun that," realistically, "would be way too big for Sarah Connor to be lugging around," Lu told Business Insider. "We ended up giving her a gun that by the time shooting started she would be able to handle with no problem."

To get Clarke prepared to use guns in the film, Lu had Clarke go on a training regimen similar to the one he gave Linda Hamilton (who originally played Sarah Connor) in "Terminator 2."

Terminator Genisys Emilia ClarkeAlong with weight training for months before production began, Lu would take Clarke out to the gun range once a week for two hours using real ammunition. Lu said this is done so actors can feel the weight and real force of the firearm in order to replicate the actions when on set. Clarke was also taught how to take apart the rifles and handguns she used for target practice and reassemble them.

As "Terminator Genisys" varies in time — traveling back to 1984 when the franchise's original film, "The Terminator," was set, as well as taking place in 2017 and 2029 — Lu also had to go over the script before shooting began to make sure the weapons were authentic to the era in which they were seen being used. Especially in regard to the past.

Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon"In the script, the 1984-era police were using Beretta M9 handguns," Lu said. "Having owned a gun shop in LA during the '80s, I've sent a lot of cadets to the police academy, so I know all the equipment from that era. In the case of the Beretta, I knew the academy didn't get that until 1988 or '89, so we used revolvers instead for those scenes."

Lu estimates that around 700 weapons were used on "Terminator Genisys." And though there is plenty of danger and excitement that goes into making sure all of those are used safely and properly on set, there are times when being a weapons master requires just making sure the weapons look their best.

"In the armory scene," said Lu, recalling a scene in which the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) brings Connor and Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to a large bunker of guns he has amassed, "that alone had 200 weapons. And me, my son, and another person had to wipe them down every day."

SEE ALSO: Here's the story behind Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous flip shotgun from "Terminator 2"

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films


Here’s everything leaving Netflix in July

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terminator 2 judgment day

It’s that time again. We have to say goodbye to some titles from Netflix.

The most immediate movie you should jump on before it goes away is “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” With “Terminator Genisys” hitting theaters July 1, it would be best to get a refresher of this classic sequel.

Some others we’re sad to see go: The cult comedy classic "Super Troopers," Oliver Stone's commentary on violence and media, "Natural Born Killers: Director’s Cut;" the Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (remember, Netflix is currently working on a sequel); and Tom Hanks stranded on an island with a volleyball, "Cast Away."

Here’s the complete list. We’ve highlighted a few that are binge-worthy for the next week-and-a-half.

Leaving 7/1/15

“Beauty and the Beast” Season 1-3
“Big Fish”
“Big Top Pee-wee”
“Bratz: Fashion Pixiez”
“Bratz Kids: Sleep-Over Adventure”
“Bowling for Columbine”
“Cast Away”
“Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie”
“Descent”
“Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead”
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”
“Four Weddings and a Funeral”
“Fried Green Tomatoes”
“Harper’s Island: The Complete Series”
“Hawaii Five-O” Season 1-10 (1968)
“Jack Frost”
“Knight Rider” Season 1-4
“Louis C.K.: Hilarious”
“Melrose Place 2.0”
“Melrose Place” Season 1-7
“Mission: Impossible” Season 1-7
“Moonstruck”
“Natural Born Killers: Director’s Cut”
“Patton”
“Racing Stripes”
“Seven Years in Tibet”
“She’s All That”
“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”
“Space Cowboys”
“Stephen King’s The Stand”
“Super Troopers”

super troopers“Terminator 2: Judgement Day”
“The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Vol. 1-3”
“The Care Bears Movie”
“The Fly 2”
“The Langoliers”
“The Last Samurai”
“The Manchurian Candidate” (2004)
“The Muppets Take Manhattan”
“Three Kings”
“Trailer Park Boys: The Movie”
“Wings” Season 1-8
“X-Men: Evolution” Season 1

Leaving 7/3/15

“Myth Hunters” Series 1

Leaving 7/4/15

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

crouching tiger hidden dragon sequelLeaving 7/6/15

“The Last Stand”

Leaving 7/14/15

“Shipping Wars” Season 1-3

“Wahlburgers” Season 1

Leaving 7/15/15

“Dragnet” Season 1-4

“Miami Vice” Season 1-5

Leaving 7/25/15

“The Inbetweeners” Season 3

Leaving 7/30/15

“Leave It to Beaver” Season 1-6

“Magnum P.I.” Season 1-8

SEE ALSO: Here's why Netflix released "Orange Is The New Black" early

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NOW WATCH: Watch the fun trailer one more time for The Rock's new HBO show

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner will both have a huge year at the movies post-divorce

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Ben Affleck Jennifer Garner divorce

As they begin life as no longer part of an A-list couple but just two separate A-listers, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner each have a busy year of making and releasing movies ahead of them. And in 2016, things will really heat up as both have several films hitting theaters, sometimes just a few weeks apart.

Here's a look at what Affleck and Garner each have coming up career-wise.

Ben Affleck:

Affleck is set to spend most of the next year releasing and promoting a couple of movies, including the highly anticipated Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which hits theaters on March 25, 2016.

Affleck also recently completed filming on Warner Bros.' thriller The Accountant, the Gavin O'Connor-directed film about a mild-mannered number cruncher with Asperger's who has a secret job as an assassin. Affleck stars alongside Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor. That film is expected to hit theaters in January.

He's also rumored to appear in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, about a cadre of DC Entertainment villains. Affleck has recently shown up in photos snapped on the the movie's Toronto set. Warner Bros. is releasing that film on Aug. 5, 2016.

The new Batman is set to participate in Batman v. Superman's Comic-Con panel on the morning of July 11, which will mark one of his first public appearances since he and Garner announced their divorce.

The multihyphenate will also likely be doing press to promote HBO's revival of Project Greenlight, which is set to premiere on Sept. 13. Affleck and Matt Damon are executive producing through their Pearl Street Films banner, and previews show both stars appearing in the series.

Affleck is also expected (finally) to begin filming the oft-delayed movie adaptation of Dennis Lehane's Prohibition Era novel Live by Night that he wrote and will direct and star in alongside Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller and Elle Fanning. The project has been pushed back a couple of times, most recently due to Affleck's Batman duties, which moved the film's release from Christmas of this year to Oct. 7, 2016. Further down the line, he's also set to reunite with his Gone Girl director David Fincher and screenwriter Gillian Flynn on a remake of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

He's also set to reteam with his Accountant director O'Connor on a movie about the American side of the FIFA scandal. As The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported, Affleck and Damon are producing, via their Warner Bros.-based Pearl Street Films shingle, a movie adaptation of the book Houses of Deceit, about U.S. FIFA exec Chuck Blazer and his role in the scandal.

Jennifer Garner:

Garner's last film was Danny Collins, which hit theaters on March 20 and is now available on DVD and for digital download. The Al Pacino starrer, in which she played the wife of his rock star character's son, capped a busy 18 months for the actress-producer, who also appeared in Men, Women and Children; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; Draft Day; and Dallas Buyers Club.

dallas buyers jennifer garnerShe's currently filming Barry Sonnenfeld's high-concept comedy Nine Lives alongside Kevin Spacey, Christopher Walken, Mark Consuelos and Robbie Amell. The movie centers on a stuffy businessman who finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat. Relativity is set to release the EuropaCorp film, written by Daniel Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin, on April 29, 2016.

She'll also likely soon begin filming Miracles From Heaven, based on a memoir by a Christy Beam, whose daughter miraculously overcame an incurable, life-threatening digestive disorder. Garner is playing Beam with The Whispers' Kylie Rogers recently cast as her daughter. Queen Latifah co-stars as a waitress who befriends the mother and daughter during their visits to Boston Children's Hospital. Patricia Riggen is directing Miracles, which is set for a March 18, 2016, release.

Garner also has her own production company, Vandalia Films, with a number of TV projects in the works.

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announce divorce after 10 years of marriage

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NOW WATCH: This Lego version of the 'Batman v. Superman' trailer is absolute gold

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the original 'Terminator' films

How 'Game of Thrones' actress Emilia Clarke became a breakout star on 'Terminator Genisys'

'Terminator Genisys' had a rough weekend at the box office

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terminator genisys arnold schwarzenegger

It was not a good weekend for Arnold Schwarzenegger to be back at the box office.

"Terminator Genisys," the fifth film in the franchise, grossed just $44.2 million over the five-day holiday weekend. 

In three days, the film made $28.7 million.

Remember, it was less than a month ago that the fourth installment of "Jurassic World"opened to a surprising $209 million.

A week after that, Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out" had a $90 million opening weekend.

"Genisys" had the worst opening of nearly all the "Terminator" movies.

MovieRelease dateOpening Weekend (3-day)BudgetWorldwide Gross
"The Terminator"10/26/84$4 million$6.4 million$78.4 million
"Terminator 2: Judgment Day"7/3/91$31.8 million$102 million$519 million
"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"7/2/03$44 million$200 million$433.4 million
"Terminator Salvation"5/21/09$42.6 million$200 million$371.4 million
"Terminator Genisys"7/1/15$28.7 million$155 million$129.7 million so far

Mind you, the original "Terminator" film opened in 1984. 

"Terminator Genisys" had the widest release of any "Terminator" film opening in 3,758 theaters. The film was made on an estimated $155 million budget

The film is Schwarzenegger's fifth movie in a row to opening under $30 million in a pure three-day box-office weekend proving American audiences are pretty much over the "Terminator" actor.

Paramount, which released the film, appeared to be aware of it, focusing a big portion of its publicity ahead of the domestic release overseas. So it's little surprise the film opened to $85 million in foreign grosses. Schwarzenegger's still a star — just internationally.

terminator brazil arnold schwarzeneggerterminator genisys paris junketInstead, fans continued to head out to see Universal's "Jurassic World" and Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out."

For the fourth weekend in a row, the fourth film in the dinosaur franchise starring Chris Pratt has led the box-office weekend.  

jurassic world chris pratt jessica chastain"Jurassic World" brought in an estimated $30.9 million over the three-day holiday weekend while "Inside Out" wasn't far behind with $30.1 million.

"Jurassic World" has now made over $1.3 billion at theaters.

Meanwhile "Inside Out" has now made $363 million worldwide.

SEE ALSO: The "Magic Mike" sequel was a huge disappointment at the box office opening weekend

AND: Photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger's makeup transformation for "Terminator Genisys"

More Terminator:  "Genisys" trailers completely spoil the best twist in the movie

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films

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