The fourth TERMINATOR movie, entitled TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS will open in May 2009, according to Variety.

Warner Brothers announced the news to the trade. The actual date penciled in for the McG starrer is May 22, 2009, the start of Memorial Day weekend. Christian Bale will star in the new movie as hero John Connor.

The trade says that he plot of the latest movie is being kept under tight wraps, but the film is the first part of a planned three-picture arc that begins after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust.

Shooting kicks off in New Mexico on May 5th of this year. Bale will next be seen in another Warner Brothers franchise, the highly anticipated BATMAN BEGINS sequel THE DARK KNIGHT.