Despite Charging $30 Million for Terminator 3, Arnold Schwarzenegger Further Demanded a Personal Budget of $1.5 Million From Producers

Arnold Schwarzenegger started his acting career as the hero of popular action pictures that began with the film “Hercules in New York.” However, the Terminator trilogy set the bar higher for other films to match, turning him into a Hollywood superstar.

Schwarzenegger wasn’t in the mood to do the film, but there is one thing that made him say yes. It was the deal that the director handed him. Like his bodybuilding skills, he has a unique skill of bargaining, which convinced the directors to sign him for a whopping $30 million.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his million-dollar deal

He received a staggering $30 million while filming “Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines.” However, Schwarzenegger also convinced the directors to set a bar of $1.5 million for his luxurious need during shooting.

While Arnold wrote a list of the luxurious things for the projects, the producers hurried to finish the movie. Schwarzenegger demanded $1.5 million for private jet travel and a different fully-stocked gym trailer. The list was not limited to there; it also included the demand for three plush suits for the areas where the movies were to be shot.

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Along this, Arnold wanted $3 million upfront, which may have sounded strange. However, the director understood his demands, and the remaining amount was paid over 19 weeks of filming. In addition, he wisely included a provision that would have paid him an additional $1.6 million per week.

Arnold’s business-centric mind

Arnold became an essential part of the franchise as the movie series became a blockbuster hit. The series also succeeded due to James Cameron’s epic sci-fi action storyline. In addition, the line of his casting received rousing applause. With the enormous demands of the legendary bodybuilder, they had no choice but to pay him. The movie was made on a $187.3 million budget, but the film did exceptionally well and grossed $427 million worldwide.

However, this was not the first time when the director had to say yes to Arnold’s negotiations. During the filming of the movie Twins, Schwarzenegger wanted compensation, but despite this, he got the royalties on the set. But Arnold demanded more than 20 percent of the movie and video cassette sales profits apart from his whopping salary. With a business-centric mind, Arnold has always got the best out of the situations, at least money-wise.

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