First Look at Spielberg's produced Falling Skies

TNT as released twenty new stills from the alien invasion drama Falling Skies.  Unfortunately, no extraterrestrials are pictured, but there’s plenty of gun totin’ and motorcycle ridin’ to tide over this red-blooded young male.

Stars Noah Wyle (ER) and Moon Bloodgood (Terminator: Salvation) as well as co-executive producer Mark Verheiden (Battlestar Galactica) will hold a Q&A panel session on July 23rd at Comic-Con.  Hit the jump for details, and check out the pics.

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Will McG Actually Get Terminator Salvation an R Rating?

When production first began on Terminator Salvation, rumors began to circulate that Warner Bros wanted the film to be PG-13. At Comic-Con last year, McG assured fans in attendance that he is under no pressure to deliver a PG-13 rating. Referring to the studio executives for this film, McG explained “I’ve been given their blessing to make the picture…and if it’s a rated R picture, then that’s that.” He elaborated that he’s not against the idea of a PG-13 rating, but that the ultimate rating will depend completely upon what the final vision for the film is.

Today McG mentioned having a topless scene of the film's lovely heroine Moon Bloodgood, who is being seen as a homage to Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, and in his usual flair of showmanship, he put it to the audience whether or not they want to see that scene in the movie. Needless to say, the mostly male audience enthusiastically chose the former.

It seems to me that the only reason that Warner Bros would want the scene cut from the film is if they want a PG-13 cut of the film. There is no other possible reason. McG publicly called out the name of the Warner Bros executive that is pushing for the removal of the shot in question, and made it clear that he would like to keep the shot in. And while McG didn’t flat out say that he wants to fight for a R-Rating, that’s how it came across to me and most everyone in the convention hall. And making a public statement is a strong message to the movie studio producing the film. McG’s vision is evidently R-Rated after all, but will the film be edited down for a more marketable (potentially more profitable) PG-13 rating?

Terminator Salvation Targeting PG-13 Rating

Variety reports that with production starting today on Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, producers at the Halcyon Co. say they aim to deliver a PG-13 movie to Warner Bros. for release on May 22, 2009.The "Terminator" series is one of the highest-grossing R-rated franchises of all time, with the first three films having grossed more than $1.03 billion worldwide. "The ratings have changed," said Halcyon co-founder and co-CEO Victor Kubicek, a broker-turned-writer-producer. "The PG-13 has increased in intensity."

A family-friendly rating opens many doors, including a "Terminator Salvation" licensing deal for action figures with Playmates Toys.

"Our merchandising program will be the largest to date for 'The Terminator,' " said Halcyon co-founder and co-CEO Derek Anderson, ex-owner of ad agency In the Mix, who adds that he had not discussed the possibility of an R-rating with Warners. "We won't force it. We are carrying on in the tradition of the mythology, with an exciting approach to the action. If we can make a compelling film to reach the widest audience, why wouldn't we do it?"

Halcyon has already launched Halcyon Games to create a "Terminator" game for release at the same time as the movie. "The first three games were all bad," Anderson said. "The core fans are screaming for something fresh; they won't be just playing the movie."

Set in post-apocalyptic 2029, an adult John Connor, played by Christian Bale, leads the war to save humanity from the killing machines. Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and Moon Bloodgood co-star.

Moon Bloodgood cast in Terminator

On the weekend, there were rumours that "Terminator 4" had shut down.

Today, Reuters announces the female lead.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my lung on the table and say the film is safe - no cancellation, not if they're announcing cast.

So who is the actress they've announced? She's Moon Bloodgood (gotta love that name), fresh from the short-lived series "Journeyman".

According to the aforelinked site, 32-year-old Bloodgood will play "a survivor of the nuclear holocaust perpetrated by that rascally SkyNet".
Not sure whether she's playing Kate (the character played by Claire Danes), John Connor's crush from "Terminator 3" (who would become his wife), or a new character. Probably a new character, since there was nothing remotely Dutch, Irish or Korean about the character of Kate in the previous film - and Bloodgood is a combination of all three.

According to the trade, "Terminator 4" (It was to be titled "Terminator Salvation : The Future Begins", but producers have reportedly scrapped that title) is still set to shoot from May 5. McG directs; Sam Worthington, Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin and (possibly) Josh Brolin star.