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Arnie halts film projects for family crisis


LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Arnold Schwarzenegger put all his movie projects on hold Thursday to deal with the family crisis sparked by revelations that he fathered a secret love child, a lawyer for the megastar said.

The former California governor told his agents that work on new projects including "The Terminator" franchise would stop "until further notice" as he grapples with a media storm and the breakup of his 25-year marriage.

"At the request of Arnold Schwarzenegger we asked Creative Artists Agency to inform all his motion picture projects currently underway or being negotiated to stop planning until further notice," said Arnie's lawyer Patrick Knapp.

"Governor Schwarzenegger is focusing on personal matters and is not willing to commit to any production schedules or timelines. This includes 'Cry Macho,' 'The Terminator' franchise and other projects under consideration."

Schwarzenegger, 63, announced his separation from Maria Shriver last week, and on Tuesday revealed that the split occured after he told her about a love child he fathered over a decade ago, and kept secret from her.

Shriver, of the Kennedy political dynasty, has hired a top divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, according to People magazine, although it quoted a source close to her as saying: "Maria hasn't decided yet if she wants to end her marriage."

Media reports have identified the other woman as Mildred Patricia Baena, who was a housekeeper for the power couple for two decades until Schwarzenegger stood down as governor in January.
Pictures of Baena and her son with Schwarzenegger -- who bears a striking resemblance to Arnie -- have circulated online since the actor admitted to the love child, and apologized to his family.

She was tracked down to her home in Bakersfield, a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Los Angeles, but there was no sign of life in her single-story house where a media camp quickly developed.

In announcing their separation last week, Schwarzenegger and Shriver said they were taking time to "work on the future."

A few days later Schwarzenegger said they still loved each other, and were taking "one day at a time," hinting at possible reunion -- but Shriver's reaction to the love child news suggested she wasn't focused on reconciliation.

"This is a painful and heartbreaking time. As a mother my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal," said the 55-year-old.

It is not the first time the marriage has been strained by Schwarzenegger's relations with other women: it came under the spotlight notably during the 2003 election which he won, amid reports of his history of groping women.

The couple, who met in 1977 and married in 1986, have four children, aged between 14 and 21.
Since January Schwarzenegger had started to return to show business, unveiling plans for a "Governator" comic book and animated TV show, and reportedly signing for a new film in the "Terminator" series.

It is unclear how long those plans will be put on hold.

"We will resume discussions when Governor Schwarzenegger decides," said his entertainment lawyer Knapp Thursday.

[Justin Lin] chatted about the character of Sarah Connor, and early signs are that she might be primed for a return. “I mean, I’ve always been surprised how, in part 3, she was just like… It was like one line and she was gone,” he said.

He then added, though, “But I think the great thing about this franchise is you have… You can actually have different canons because you have the element of time travel. So, there’s a way of kind of respecting all the works but also able to create a new time line.”

According to our top-secret source The Phantom (no, not Billy Zane in purple tights), actresses Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Brie Larson (“21 Jump Street”) and Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) are being looked at for the role of Sarah Connor. Her time-hopping son John is also being cast, with Boyd Holbrook (“The Host”) and Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, On the Road) being considered.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Alan Taylor is prepping to begin testing actors and actresses for the sci-fi feature project, which is being made by Paramount, Annapurna Pictures and Skydance Productions.

The testing will begin next next week, with Taylor seeing Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke, Brie Larson (The Spectacular Now) as well as another actress vying for the role of young Sarah Connor. Margot Robbie’s name has also surfaced in connection with the role.

Taylor will also be searching for his young Kyle Reese, the man who will father John. Those actor tests will occur at a later date but insiders say Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) is on the short list although sources say reports of Boyd Holbrook are off the mark.

Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back as a Terminator robot in a time-spanning story that sees him tasked to protect Sarah Connor as she grows up.

But John Connor is also back and sources say Taylor's wish list starts with Tom Hardy (Christopher Nolan's memorable Bane in The Dark Knight Rises), although at this stage not even a meeting has taken place.