Pacificor hires agency to sell 'Terminator' rights

Included are rights to exploit the property for film, television, merchandise and online games.

In addition, William Morris Endeavor will help Pacificor to select and retain key talent for the next sequel.

A US bankruptcy judge in February ruled that the movie franchise could be sold to Pacificor, ending months of speculation after its former owner Halcyon Holding collapsed into bankruptcy in August.

Pacificor, Halcyon's largest creditor in the bankruptcy, made a winning "credit bid" of USD 29.5 million to buy the franchise and promised to pay another USD 5 million to Halcyon's bankruptcy estate for each future "Terminator" sequel.

The judge overruled an objection from Sony Corp' Columbia Pictures and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp which had claimed the auction process was unfair after their joint USD 35.6 million bid for the franchise was not selected. The studios had also promised to pay the estate an additional USD 2 million for each of the sixth and seventh "Terminator" sequels, but no money for the fifth sequel.

Halcyon Holding bought the Terminator franchise in 2007 for about USD 25 million and produced "Terminator Salvation," which took in about USD 371 million in worldwide box office returns last year.