Trivia

Special effects wizard Stan Winston died during filming (15 Jun 2008), making this the last film he provided visual effects for.

Director McG asked the cast and crew to read the novel "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick - the basis for Blade Runner (1982) - because he wanted them to absorb the bleakness of the world in the novels. The film version of The Road was released a few months after this film, in December 2009.

The only film in the series not to feature Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was unavailable due to serving as the Governor of California at the time. Instead, a stand-in was used for T-800's brief appearance, with Schwarzenegger's likeness digitally superimposed.

During filming in the summer of 2008, Christian Bale yelled and used profanity at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, who was adjusting a light in the background and constantly walking in the background looking at the lights during each take while Bale was doing an intense scene and got distracted by the cinematographer. Bale's tirade was then leaked on the Internet. After it was leaked, Bale publicly apologized for his remarks and said that he and Hurlbut are on good terms and the two patched things up that day.

Marcus, Kyle and Star all travel to Griffith Park Observatory to find a usable vehicle, which is the same place where the T-800 arrives in the first film in 1984.

Christian Bale later stated that when he was approached for the film, he expressed the same concerns to director McG that the Terminator fan-base was expressing about him taking over the franchise. Bale told him that "nothing in your (McG) filmography suggests that you have what it takes to do this movie properly." McG ultimately convinced Bale to give him a chance, so he could "evolve" as a director. As of 2014, Bale admitted that the film "didn't work", insinuating that it was ultimately McG who blew it. He also stated that he would never work with McG ever again, although he wished him well. However, in an 2018 interview, he blamed script problems for the film's inability to reinvigorate the franchise. According to Bale, writer Jonathan Nolan was asked to rewrite the script and had conceived a "wonderful" story, but due to the writer's strike, he was called away to a prior commitment, and was unable to implement most of his ideas. Nolan therefore remained uncredited for the finished film.

Michael Ironside accepted his role in the movie, despite having just broken three vertebrae in a roofing accident. Notice that throughout the movie, he never sits down, because of the intense pain.

(at around 25 mins) In the original The Terminator (1984) Kyle Reese asks the police "What day is it? What year?" And one of the first things Marcus Wright says to Kyle Reese is "What day is it? What year?".

Earlier drafts of the script written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris focused a lot more on just Marcus Wright, Kyle Reese and Star, with John Connor making an appearance in the last few scenes. Christian Bale was first offered the role of Marcus but took more interest in the character of John Connor, so rewrites took place to give him more of a substantial role throughout the film.

This is the first "Terminator" film not to feature Earl Boen, who played a doubting psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Silberman, in the earlier films.

In several scenes, Kyle can be seen wearing Nike shoes. They are strikingly similar to the Nike Vandals Reese wore in The Terminator (1984).

After Claire Danes declined to reprise her role as Kate Brewster, Charlotte Gainsbourg was cast, but pulled out due to a scheduling conflict with another film. She was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard.

(at around 1h 21 mins) The song "You Could Be Mine" by Guns N' Roses appears in the film. The song was previously used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

Dedicated to the memory of Stan Winston.

(at around 1h 13 mins) The river bank used for the napalm strike during Marcus' escape was part of a one-mile man-made river because environmental officials present during the production would not allow them to use the existing river.

Despite prominent billing, Helena Bonham Carter only gets five minutes of screentime. Her role was supposed to be more extensive, even having her appear as a cyborg, but it was scaled down substantially in subsequent re-writes.

Star has no dialogue and doesn't say anything throughout the movie, due to the character being mute. In her backstory, Star is mute due to being traumatized over Judgment Day. In the original screenplay by John Brancato and Michael Ferris before it was re-written, Star is only a few years younger than Kyle. They know each other from the day-care center before Judgment Day happened. Star can talk but can't remember her name, so they simply named her after the star on her cap.

Sam Worthington signed onto the film after finishing work on Avatar (2009) and was recommended to McG by Terminator creator James Cameron for the role of Marcus Wright.

Helena Bonham Carter replaced Tilda Swinton shortly before filming was set to begin. She filmed her role in 10 days.

(at around 1h 35 mins) The silver-looking machine where the nuclear fuel cells are stored at the Skynet factory is actually a piece of equipment from a semiconductor manufacturing plant, an SVG 90-S coater/developer for silicon wafers.

As of January 2016, this is the only Terminator movie not to depict any time travel, although it is briefly alluded to. In an early script version, Marcus uses a Time Displacement Device to travel back a few hours in order to save someone, but this was later written out.

Shipped to theaters under the code name "Project Angel". This was also the name of the Terminator research project in the film, as well as the fake name filming took place under.

This is the first film in which John Connor and his father Kyle Reese have appeared together (if one disregards the special edition of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), where Kyle Reese makes an appearance in a dream sequence that was deleted from the theatrical version).

(at around 32 mins) The song that plays when Marcus Wright starts the truck in LA is 'Rooster' by Alice in Chains. The song was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell about his father's experiences in Vietnam (Rooster was Jerry Cantrell, Sr.'s nickname), and the opening line, "Ain't found a way to kill me yet" parallels the movie from John Connor's perspective, with the machines as yet unsuccessful in their numerous attempts to kill him.

(at around 1h 20 mins) Before leaving on his mission to rescue Kyle Reese, John Connor (Christian Bale) tells his wife, "I'll be back." This line was used by the T-800 Terminators (both played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) in The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). In Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Schwarzenegger's T-850 uses a variation of the line: "I'm back!"

Here is a transcript of the now infamous Bale Rant; which occurred during the filming of this movie: Christian Bale: Am I going to walk around and rip your ------- lights down, in the middle of a scene? Then why the ---- are you walking right through? Ah-da-da-dah, like this in the background. What the ---- is it with you? What don't you ------- understand? You got any ------- idea about, hey, it's ------- distracting having somebody walking up behind Bryce in the middle of the ------- scene? Give me a ------- answer! What don't you get about it? Shane Hurlbut: I was looking at the light. Bale: Ohhhhh, goooood for you. And how was it? I hope it was ------- good, because it's useless now, isn't it? Hurlbut: OK. Bale: ----- sake man, you're amateur. McG, you got ------- something to say to this p----? Director Joseph 'McG' McGinty Nichol: I didn't see it happen. Bale: Well, somebody should be ------- watching and keeping an eye on him. McG: Fair enough. Bale: It's the second time that he doesn't give a ---- about what is going on in front of the camera, all right? I'm trying to ------- do a scene here, and I am going "Why the ---- is Shane walking in there? What is he doing there?" Do you understand my mind is not in the scene if you're doing that? Hurlbut: I absolutely apologise. I'm sorry, I did not mean anything by it. Bale: Stay off the ------- set man. For ----- sake. Alright, let's go again. McG: Let's just take a minute. Bale: Let's not take a ------- minute, let's go again. Bale: I'm going to ------- kick your ------- ass if you don't shut up for a second! All right? Unknown voices: Christian, Christian. It's cool. Bale: I'm going to go... Do you want me to ------- go trash your lights? Do you want me to ------- trash 'em? Then why are you trashing my scene? Hurlbut: I'm not trying to trash your scene. Bale: You are trashing my scene! Hurlbut: Christian, I was only... Bale: You do it one more ------- time and I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired. I'm ------- serious. You're a nice guy. You're a nice guy, but that don't ------- cut it when you're ------- around like this on set.

(at around 24 mins) In one scene, we see Marcus snatching the shotgun from Kyle. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the T-800 grabs a shotgun from a bar owner in the same manner.

Michael Papajohn, who played a paramedic in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), appears in this movie as Carnahan, the leader of the gang who harasses Blair.

Josh Brolin was asked to play Marcus Wright, but he turned it down.

The film was released the same year as the cancellation of the TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008).

During the title sequence the camera focuses on each letter of the title before the words "Terminator" and "Salvation" intersect with each other. This is similar to the intro from The Terminator (1984).

Each Terminator film has been produced under a different company. The Terminator (1984) was produced by Hemdale and went through Orion, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) went through Carolco and Tri-Star (which was owned by Columbia), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) was produced by C-2 Pictures and distributed through both Warner Bros. (Domestic release) and Columbia Pictures (international release), and 'Salvation' was produced by The Halcyon Company and distributed through both Warner Bros. (Domestic release) and Columbia Pictures (international release).

This was the first (and so far, only) "Terminator" film to be released in the same decade as the previous one. Terminator Genisys would be released six years later, in 2015. Terminator: Dark Fate is set for release in 2019, which would be the second to be released in the same decade as its predecessor.

Star was speculated to be the female rebel soldier who is killed in the flashback sequence in The Terminator (1984).

This was originally intended to be the second half of two Terminator movies developed back to back by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. It was originally titled Project Angel (seen on some computer screens in Skynet during sync sequence with Marcus) and was to be written by David C. Wilson for release in 2003 with the events to start immediately after the first half: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). However, actor commitments, including Arnold Schwarzenegger's office term as Governor of California, prompted the script to be rewritten, including moving the timeline by credited writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris, to be supervised and directed by Jonathan Mostow. The project was delayed in 2006 when Kassar and Vajna ended their partnership and sold the movie rights to Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek.

During filming of a scene. Christian Bale lost it, when the director of photography continued to walk onto a scene and accidentally interrupted the scene and Bale ranted and swore his mouth off and used 39 uses of the F-word.

Features only three characters who have appeared earlier in the franchise, all three of whom are played by new actors. Each of those actors has replaced other actors in other franchises. Christian Bale became the new Batman in 2005. Anton Yelchin appeared as Chekov in Star Trek (2009). Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Nicole Kidman in Manderlay (2005) and Rachelle Lefevre in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010).

Alan Dean Foster dedicated the novelization to a Brian Thomsen, no relation to the Brian Thompson who had a cameo as a punk in The Terminator (1984).

The ladies of the View sharply denounced Christian Bale after his crazy recorded rant on the set of Terminator Salvation went viral. After hearing the tape, "The View" co-panelist Joy Behar suggested that Bale's rant was out of order. "This is not, no one is on an operating table getting brain surgery," she said. "This is show business." But Goldberg said that actors are often intense on set because they are practicing their craft. "But it's your art. It's your art form," she replied. "If I have to jump out of character to tell you something you should know?" Goldberg later continued. "You're in a zone and it's crazy."

Arnold Schwarzenegger said in an interview for Terminator Genisys that "It sucked."

Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes the Official Movie Prequel was also published by Titan Books like the novelization from Timothy Zahn

It turns out the most memorable thing about this movie is Christian Bale's temper tantrum as he went off on a crew member for several minutes; spewing swears and shouting the whole time. That became the main thing this movie is remembered for as a matter of fact.

Stan Winston: You can see him briefly as a white-haired prisoner on board the harvester after the petrol station raid.

(at around 1h 40 mins) The scars that appear on post Judgment Day John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) are a direct result of the final climactic scene in this movie which the molten hot T-800 scratches John Connor's face in their confrontation at SkyNet Central.

In the film's originally scripted ending that was leaked, John Connor died from his injuries, and Marcus Wright agreed to have Connor's skin transplanted over his Terminator endoskeleton, because news of John's death would seriously hurt the morale of the Resistance. According to director McG and actor Christian Bale, the full ending was even bleaker than this: as soon as the procedure is complete, the John Connor robot is taken over by Skynet, and he wipes out Kyle, Kate and the rest of the Resistance. This ending was actually green-lit by the studio, but McG eventually decided that it was just too nihilistic and disappointing for the audience. The idea of John Connor becoming a Terminator was reused in Terminator Genisys (2015), where an embodiment of Skynet converts Connor into a T-5000.

A similar desert gas station appears in all four Terminator films. In The Terminator (1984) Sarah stops at one before driving to the Mojave Desert. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Sarah, John and the T-800 camp in one for the night after she escapes from the hospital. In Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) it is where The T-800 stops for supplies and gas. In 'Salvation' it is the hideout for the refugees shortly before they are attacked by the Harvester Terminator.

The "Heart Transplant Ending" used in the final release was an extended reshoot. Originally Marcus just died due to the damage sustained in the fight with the T800. Connor's wounds received in the fight were not fatal either, however this was changed so the transplant could be added in order to give Marcus a more emotional departure.

(at around 1h 35 mins) During the final encounter, the T-800 picks up a concrete block and repeatedly bashes it into Marcus' chest. This is reminiscent of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) where the T-1000 uses a steel girder in a similar manner, crushing the T-800's head and chest area.

Early versions of the screenplay written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris were quite different from the shooting script. They focused mainly on Marcus Wright waking up in a Skynet facility after the Resistance destroyed it. On his journey he travels with Kyle Reese and Star until they are caught by Skynet, and later with Blair Williams. The apocalyptic wasteland is home to cannibalistic survivors of Judgment Day, as well as hairless, mutated canines called Skindogs that hunt in packs. He is caught by Barnes, who is a bigamist leader of a community outpost, not one of John Connor's soldiers. Marcus is revealed to be a 'hybrid', a cross between human and Terminator. Upon escaping captivity and infiltrating Skynet central, he discovers an entire community of fellow hybrids, led by Dr. Serena Kogan (also a hybrid). Apparently, Skynet destroyed mankind as it was a danger to the planet, but spared the hybrids, as they were part machine. The hybrids are now actively helping Skynet fight the remaining humans. Upon hearing that Kyle and Star have been killed, Marcus uses a prototype Time Displacer to travel back in time a few hours, saves the children, and they escape. The Skynet army finally goes in pursuit and corners them on a beach, but they are saved by the Resistance led by John Connor (who only appears in a few scenes and at the end). Unfortunately, Serena manages to get to John and mortally wounds him. The film ends with Marcus altered to look like John at the latter's request, since the idea of John Connor leading the Resistance is more important than the man himself. When Christian Bale signed on as Connor, the screenplay was rewritten to shift the focus of the story from Marcus to John, and as a result, the hybrids subplot was also removed.

The post-apocalyptic world of 2018 depicted in this film is clearly different from the dark post-apocalyptic world of 2029 as depicted in The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). One reason for this is the time difference: the Resistance still uses conventional guns, helicopters and fighter planes against Skynet in 2018, and they still fight during the day as opposed to 2029, when they use laser guns and fight guerrilla-style at night. Another reason is that this 2018 is not in the same timeline as the 2029 from the first two Terminator movies: due to the intervention of John and Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the original timeline has been altered somewhat: Judgment Day occurred not in 1997 but in 2004 now (as seen in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)). In this altered timeline, not everything happens the exact same way or at the same time as it did in the original timeline; this is evidenced by Sarah Connor's tape which is slightly different from the one she recorded in The Terminator (1984), and the fact that the T-800 infiltrator unit is already in development in the altered 2018, whereas it was implied to be a recent development in the original 2029.

Terminator Salvation (2009) was originally planned as the first installment of a trilogy of Terminator Salvation films and the film's ending was left open for a sequel which would had been Terminator 5.

The film takes place in 2018, 11 years prior to the T-800 and Kyle Reese traveling back through time to 1984 in The Terminator (1984), which happened in the year 2029.

(at around 1h 17 mins) John Connor asks Blair Williams "How's that leg", she says "I'll live". In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) at the mental hospital, the T-800 shoots the security guard in the leg and says "He'll live".