A power to terminate The Terminator? The Hollywood Reporter reports that Gale Ann Hurd, a screenwriter who wrote the script for the original Terminator alongside director James Cameron, has filed a copyright termination notice against Warner Bros., Disney and Skydance Media, claiming ownership of the film’s script.
Provisions of the United States copyright law allow the originators of a work to obtain ownership of it after a designated term – 35 years. If this claim is accepted Hurd will own 50% of the franchise while the other half will remain in the hands of Cameron. Further entries in the franchise after November 2020 would have to get both parties’ authorization. The proceedings may be complicated by international rights laws that differ from the U.S. law.
Hurd is not alone in the struggle to bring films’ rights back to the original writers. Her motion follows the success of screenwriter Victor Miller who got the rights for Friday the 13th. The writers of Beetlejuice, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Die Hard are currently in the midst of similar proceedings.
The upcoming film Terminator: Dark Fate, will not be affected and is due to be released on November 1.
