Looks like the rights to “The Terminator” will definitely be changing hands by the time the ball drops in Times Square in December. So what does this mean for the current “Terminator” series? (As in the follow-up to “Terminator Salvation”) – hard to say, but one thing’s for certain, a McG-helmed “Terminator 5” starring Christian Bale as growling-leader John Connor isn’t the sure thing it once was.

According to The Wrap, Halcyon – the company that snapped up the rights to the “Terminator” series a couple of years back – filed for Chapter 11 protection last month due to its ongoing dispute with Pacificor, the Santa Barbara-based hedge fund that financed its purchase of the movie franchise. To help the company get back-on-track financially, it’s been suggested they sell the rights to the “Terminator” series.

“Based on our extensive due diligence, we believe the value of the Terminator franchise alone is substantially greater than the $30 million Halcyon paid for it in 2007,” Kevin W. Shultz, Senior Managing Director of FTI Capital Advisors, said in a statement. “In our view, Halcyon enjoys a wide variety of strategic options and we intend to explore them all.”

Apparently Sony is one of the companies that may be interested in picking up the rights to the series.

In all honesty, I wouldn’t be totally gutted if someone does take over the franchise and starts again – - “Salvation” sucked worse than a Virginal prom date.