Terminator Salvation takes place in 2018 where Skynet and the machines are running the show. John Connor (Christian Bale) is leading the human resistance who are trying to stay alive and take down Skynet. However, for the sequel McG has suggested that we may see John Connor battling machines in a modern day 2011.
From Film Journal:
“I strongly suspect the next movie is going to take place in a [pre-Judgment Day] 2011,” McG reveals. “John Connor is going to travel back in time and he’s going to have to galvanize the militaries of the world for an impending Skynet invasion. They’ve figured out time travel to the degree where they can send more than one naked entity. So you’re going to have hunter killers and transports and harvesters and everything arriving in our time and Connor fighting back with conventional military warfare, which I think is going to be fucking awesome.
I also think he’s going to meet a scientist that’s going to look a lot like present-day Robert Patrick [who famously played the T-1000 in Terminator 2], talking about stem-cell research and how we can all live as idealized, younger versions of ourselves.”
McG has said in the past that he has a outline for the new trilogy, so this will no doubt be part of the master plan. I wonder where the third film will take place? When you introduce time travel anything is possible. Skynet vs. the dinosaurs anyone?
