Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired North American distribution rights to "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," putting the project on the fast track to begin production in early 2008 reports Variety.

Halcyon is producing 'Salvation' which plans to reinvent James Cameron's cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over the course of a trilogy set in the future. The producers said that the new film will carry the size and scale of "Terminator 3," and will have an event-sized budget.

"T3" scribes John Brancato and Michael Ferris penned the screenplay, whilst a director is being finalised (McG is the odds-on favorite). The producers said it wasn't yet clear whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back for his fourth appearance in the franchise, but they've left it open for him to do a cameo.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed "T3" in most overseas territories, is expected to get first crack at international distribution. A Summer 2009 release date set.