Fake Schwarzenegger story on "Terminator 4"

Does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have a new spokeswoman?

Hollywood websites have been using a quote from a woman named "Annabelle Gross," described as a "Schwarzenegger rep." Her first appearance came a few days ago on a website called Moviehole.net, which apparently is run out of Australia and Hollywood.

Spokeswoman Gross is quoted as hinting that the governor would have further involvement in the Terminator movie series. "He's signed on as Executive Producer for all three pictures, and we are in talks for further appearance licenseing," Ms. Gross says.

The headline on the item reads: "Arnold to appear in next three Terminator movies." That item has now been picked up by more than a dozen other websites and newspapers around the world.

The problem is, Annabelle Gross is an invention. "Totally false story. Nobody knows who this woman is and there's been no agreement like this regarding Schwarzenegger role in future Terminators," said Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's communications director. I can't find a single quote from "Annabelle Gross" before the May 10 posting.

The rights to the "Terminator" series have been sold to The Halcyon Company, and a new movie is expected by 2009. The new producers said they expect "Terminator 4" to be the first in another trilogy based on the apocalyptic science fiction blockbuster that made Schwarzenegger a bona fide movie star in 1984.

(UPDATE: The item, which is spreading throughout the Internet today, also includes a quote from Halcyon co-founder Derek Anderson: "We'll be using computer altered stock images of Arnold. That way we can span his entire career, from the frightening '80s era Terminator to the ice cool T2 version."

But Mark Saylor, spokesman for the company, said this quote was completely fabricated. Anderson never said it. And no decision has been made about using Schwarzenegger's image in the new films, Saylor said. Moviehole.net has since removed the item from its website and asked the writer of the item to explain.)

False sightings and rumors about Schwarzenegger show up all the time - almost always about his movie career. But I've never seen someone fabricate an on-the-record source. I find it shocking that something on the Internet could be inaccurate.