The rights to the Terminator film franchise will be auctioned this month. The price tag is likely to exceed the $60 million acquisition of the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Viacom’s Nickelodeon, the Financial Times reports. The auction has sparked considerable interest but will also test Hollywood intellectual property valuations at a time when the industry is feeling a severe squeeze over falling DVD sales.
Several financial buyers have expressed interest in Terminator, says the FT, including all the majors. Sony is said to be a leading contender.
Summit is also tracking the sale as is Media Rights Capital, a source told the paper.
The rights are being sold by Halcyon, the production company behind Terminator Salvation, and would give the buyer the ability to make new films, TV shows, etc. However the auction does not cover earlier Terminator films.
FTI Capital Advisors is handling the sale.
