Few actors in Hollywood are as well loved as J.K. Simmons. From his memorable turn as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spiderman’ films, to his numerous starring TV roles, to his ludicrous Farmers Insurance commercials, seeing him on screen is always a treat. Which is why it was such a boon for the team behind next summer’s ;Terminator Genysis‘ to get the actor to join the cast. Simmons spoke on the casting recently, and his reasons for why he decided to hop on board the project:

Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

“It’s a gigantic movie and that was such a surprise when they sent that to me and asked me to do it. I thought ‘Well, obviously it’s a gigantic movie and on that level, it’s something most actors would want to be a part of, but is it just going to be the formulaic yadda-yadda-yadda then cut to the stuff blowing up?’ But I found the script to be really much more intelligent and fun and funny and well-rounded and heart-felt. It’s a love story. It’s a really interesting script. They got great actors. I wrapped that in August, so that was another movie that ended up being really satisfying on all levels. I have a much smaller part in that but it was really a fun thing to be a part of. “

Also starring are Emilia Clarke and Jason Clarke as Sarah and John Connor, and Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, the two who Simmons ostensibly is speaking of when he mentions a love story. When asked whether he got to have any scenes with returning fan-favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Simmons revealed even more about the film’s production:

“Yeah, most of my stuff was with Jai Courtney and Emilia Clarke and Arnold was very involved — or rather, I was involved in a fair amount of stuff with Arnold. I spent very little time actually with Jason Clarke, but yeah I got to work with all four of the leads of the film. From the table read on, I was just favorably impressed by everybody’s work. Also everybody’s attitude and what they brought to work with them every day and how there was no BS and diva tantrums. It was a good experience overall.”

Based on Simmon’s glowing endorsement, this is definitely one to put on the radar. Also of note is the level of secrecy involving the plot, which in my opinion is usually a good sign, as it means the crew behind the film is genuinely excited for people to see what they have in store, and want to ensure nothing is spoiled.  Look for it to come out next summer on July 1 2015!

Source: Comingsoon.net, Slashfilm