Ridley Scott Passed On Directing A Major Sci-Fi Sequel (And A Huge Paycheck)

Very few directors have had the longevity, success, or diversity in their careers that Ridley Scott has had. At 87 years old, the man behind "Blade Runner," "Alien," "Gladiator," and so many other classics is still just as active — arguably more so — than he was back in the 1980s. With such a long career come inevitable missed opportunities ... or, if you're Scott, opportunities you're still royally glad that you turned down. The one in question? "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

It's been known for years that Scott was one of many directors in consideration to direct the threequel after James Cameron removed himself from the project. But in a recent interview with The Guardian, he revealed just how much he had been offered to helm the film — a whopping $20 million, equal to what series star Arnold Schwarzenegger was set to make.

"I'm proud about this," Scott told The Guardian, referring to his refusal to take on the "Terminator" movies. "I turned down a $20 [million] fee. See, I can't be bought, dude. Someone said: 'Ask what Arnie gets.' I thought: 'I'll try it out.' I said: 'I want what Arnie gets.' When they said yes, I thought: 'F*** me.' But I couldn't do it."

At the time, Scott was coming off of one of the biggest hits of his career in "Gladiator," and after putting out the "Silence of the Lambs" sequel "Hannibal," he released "Black Hawk Down" in 2002. The "Terminator 3" job ended up going to Jonathan Mostow, but it's interesting to think about what Scott's version of the sci-fi sequel might have looked like.

Handing off an iconic film to a different director for the sequel is always a dicey proposition. When most movie fans talk about successful examples, "Alien" and "Aliens" tend to jump to the top of the list. While Ridley Scott's 1979 original is much different than the more action-heavy sequel directed by James Cameron, both did significant work to build out the fictional universe that's still going strong today with movies like "Alien: Romulus" and the FX TV series "Alien: Earth."

Had Scott taken on directorial duties for "Terminator 3," he would have been doing the exact same thing for Cameron that Cameron did for him back in the '80s. It would have meant that two of the biggest sci-fi franchises of the era both would have been shaped by cooperative efforts from the same two legendary directors. Perhaps that was just too much synergy for the small world of Hollywood science fiction to handle.

Though Ridley Scott's oeuvre is incredibly diverse, he always brings a strong directorial vision to both his hits and his flops. "Terminator 3" is far from a disaster, but it's also been largely forgotten in the scope of the franchise. Its worst quality is that it's entirely forgettable, lacking the memorable moments or strong choices that made Cameron's first two films instant classics.

That certainly wouldn't have been an issue with Scott behind the camera, though he also likely would have delivered a different kind of film entirely — one with a bit more thematic resonance and less focus on action set pieces. "It's not my thing," Scott told The Guardian regarding "Terminator 3" and that style of popcorn blockbuster. "It's like doing a Bond movie. The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. Terminator is pure comic strip." Rather than follow in that mold and try to deliver something light and flashy, the director said that he would have likely delivered a more grounded take on the franchise.

"I would try to make it real," he said. "That's why they've never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I could f*** it up."