Working with Studiocanal, Cameron and the China-linked studio will create the digitally remastered 3D conversion with StereoD, for a worldwide release in 2016.
Arnie will be back once again as James Cameron is partnering with DMG Entertainment and Studiocanal to return Terminator 2: Judgment Day to global cinemas in a digitally remastered 3D rerelease.
DMG and StudioCanal will work with Cameron to supervise and produce the 3D conversion using the latest technology from StereoD.
The new Terminator 2 3D is targeting a worldwide release in 2016, but a key target market is understood to be China, where the conversion will make its global premiere courtesy of DMG's China branch, DMG Yinji, working with China Film Group.
The Terminator franchise has a wide following in China, now the world's second-largest film market, but Terminator 2 has never been given a theatrical release there. The latest film in the franchise, Terminator: Genisys, grossed $112.8 million in China earlier this year, compared to $89.7 million domestically.
"Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Terminator 2 and that seemed like the perfect time to bring it back but this time in an all-new 3D version," said Cameron.
He added: "If you’ve never seen it, this’ll be the version you want to see and remember.”
Cameron has talked about converting Terminator 2 into 3D for a number of years and he pursued a similar 3D rerelease strategy for Titanic in 2012. The film grossed $343 million worldwide, with $145 million coming from China and $57.8 million from the U.S.
"For a whole new generation of fans, it is truly a chance to see the movie that really set the bar for action and effects that all the movies today are trying to top, in a completely new way — in the theater and in 3D,” said DMG CEO Dan Mintz, adding: "We are committed to making the conversion the highest quality in order to live up to the expectations of the film’s many fans around the world.”
Terminator 2 is a key asset in Studiocanal's extensive catalog of international titles. Over the past 15 years, the first two installments of the Terminator franchise have earned more than $10 million in licensing and royalties revenues, according to the company.
"We are very excited to be teaming up with DMG and James Cameron to breathe new life into T2 and bring it in 3D to cinema-goers in China," said Rodolphe Buet, president of international distribution and marketing at Studiocanal. "This is consistent with our long-standing policy of carefully curating the over 5,000 titles of our masterpiece-filled catalog and releasing them to new audiences in partnership with the greatest talents in the industry.”
A critical and commercial success, Terminator 2 won four Academy Awards in 1991 and was the biggest film of the year, grossing $204.8 million in North America and another $315 million around the world.