Movies - TV
Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger Crafted An Iron-Clad Contract For His Terminator 3 Return
By ERIC VESPE
While "The Terminator" started out as a low-budget genre flick, by the time "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" rolled around, everybody was making bank, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, who pulled in a record-breaking salary of $15 million in 1991. If that sounds crazy, wait till you hear how much he made for "Terminator 3."
According to a 2005 Slate feature, Schwarzenegger's contract for the film ensured that once the actor signed on to the project, the studio would pay him $29.25 million whether they made the movie or not. He also received a perk package worth $1.5 million, including a fully equipped gym trailer, private flights, personal bodyguards, 24-hour limo service, and more.
Schwarzenegger also got 20% of the gross of the movie, i.e., he received 20 cents for every dollar the film made at the box office or for DVD sales or TV/streamer licensing deals. He knew the producers, who had already spent millions on the development of the project, needed him, and in the end, they had little choice but to pay him what he wanted.