Arnold may not be back, but that doesn't mean a franchise can't move forward on its own.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) stand to see some nice revenue generation for their studio segments in 2009 via a new sequel in the Terminator franchise, to be called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Sony will take international distribution chores, while Time Warner will handle the domestic side of things.

As a fan of the Terminator series, I can tell you that it will be great to see another entry. And it will also be exciting to see if the brand can be carried by someone else other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. In fact, Christian Bale is set to play John Connor, the future rebel who battles Skynet and its evil cyborg army.

Yesterday afternoon, the world was shocked to learn of the untimely passing of Heath Ledger. Remembered for roles as varied as Patrick Verona in the teen-comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain (for which Ledger earned a Lead-Actor Oscar nomination), the 28-year old was a talented and beloved thespian who possibly struggled with staggering demons.

His final bow will be taken in the iconic role of Batman villain The Joker, in The Dark Knight. The movie, a production of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX)'s Warner Brothers, still carries a release date of June 18.

A Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) location in San Diego reportedly responded to this bulletin by seizing the marketing opportunities. A black-and-white sign, propped in front of a display of Ledger films such as Brokeback and Lords of Dogtown, asks shoppers to "Remember a great actor through his great performances." While it is a nice sentiment to honor Ledger at the prime of his career, VH1's Best Week Ever asks (and I have to agree with them) -- is this sort of tribute "too soon?"

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.