Terminator Genisys is a 2015 American science fiction film directed by Alan Taylor and written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. The fifth installment in the Terminator franchise, following Terminator Salvation (2009), the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (reprising his role as the eponymous character), Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney. The plot follows soldier Kyle Reese in the war against Skynet; Kyle is sent from the year 2029 to 1984 by John Connor, leader of the Human Resistance, to protect Connor's mother Sarah. When Kyle arrives in the past, he discovers that the timeline has been altered and Sarah has been raised by a reprogrammed Terminator.
Megan Ellison and her production company, Annapurna Pictures, acquired the franchise rights in May 2011. The following year, production of another installment in the series was set up in collaboration with Skydance Productions (owned by Ellison's brother, David). The Ellisons consulted Terminator creator James Cameron in the hope of returning to the spirit of the original film and its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Principal photography was primarily in New Orleans, with some in the on-screen setting of San Francisco. Six companies handled the film's visual effects; its prosthetic make-up and animatronics were created by Legacy Effects, a studio founded by Terminator veteran Stan Winston.
The film was released by Paramount Pictures on July 1, 2015, in standard digital format, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D. Terminator Genisys was not well-received by critics, who found the story and performances unsatisfactory, although Schwarzenegger's return to the franchise was praised. It grossed over $440 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the franchise and Schwarzenegger's career (after Terminator 2: Judgment Day).