Facts and Trivia Behind Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

With Terminator: Genysis just around the corner here, we took some time to research the facts and fiction behind the movies. Today it’s all about Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Casting and Production History

The studios had long wanted to make a sequel to the previous Terminator films, but for a long time Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to do it unless James Cameron was directing. Cameron eventually told his friend to “Just do it and ask for a shit-load of money”, reasoning that the character was as much Schwarzenegger’s as it was his. Schwarzenegger confirmed this in a talk-show interview, saying that when he asked, Cameron told him to “take the money and run”.

Besides Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator), Earl Boen (Dr. Peter Silberman) is the only other actor to appear in all of the first three “Terminator” films. This film is also Boen’s last screen performance; he has solely done voice-over work since.

Regarding the role of John Connor, Edward Furlong was originally supposed to play the character. However in December 2001 it was reported that he had been dropped from the film, allegedly due to a substance abuse problem. Nick Stahl was cast shortly before filming began in April 2002 after he had to audition. Additionally, Arnold Schwarzenegger gave Claire Danes relationship advice during the making of the film and saved her from staying in an unwise friendship.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Record-Breaking Contract

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fee for reprising his role was $29.25 million, a record at the time. His contract was 33 pages long and written by Hollywood super-lawyer Jake Bloom between June 2000 and December 2001. It was written into the contract as a “pay or play” fee, meaning he would get paid whether or not the movie was made. His “perk package” included a lump sum of $1.5 million for private jets, a fully equipped gym trailer, three-bedroom deluxe suites on location, round-the-clock limousines, and personal bodyguards.

He also insisted on, and got, 20% of the gross receipts made by the venture from every market in the world—including movie theaters, videos, DVDs, television licensing, in-flight entertainment, and game licensing—once the movie had reached its cash break-even point. The contract “pre-approval” clause gave him choice of not only the director (Jonathan Mostow) and the principal cast, but also his hairdresser (Peter Toothbal), his makeup man (Jeff Dawn), his personal physician (Dr. Graham Waring), and his cook (Steve Hunter).

The negotiation of this contract did not come cheaply, as the legal and accounting budget for the movie was $2 million. By the time all of Schwarzenegger’s demands were met, the budget of the film had risen to $187.3 million, making it the most expensive independently produced movie in history.

Behind the Scenes and Preparation

Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out for six months, about three hours a day, before shooting started. By which time he had the exact same body weight and muscle measurements as he had 12 years previously while shooting Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). However, he was concerned about his nude scene (a staple of this series) because he knew people would compare it to the other ones in the franchise, especially being 54 years of age.

For the arrival scene of the T-X, Kristanna Loken spent one night nude. She put on 15 pounds of muscle to fit her role and took a mime class to prepare for her part. Because her character has so few lines, she had to learn to communicate through facial expressions and body gestures. During the filming, a piece of glass stuck under her foot because of her walking barefoot on the street.

Key Movie Facts

Arnold Schwarzenegger put up $1.4 million of his salary to ensure that a key scene in which a construction crane smashes into a glass building was shot. Other notable details include:

• The gas station at which the Terminator stops for refueling is the same gas station seen in all three Terminator movies.
• The skulls in the future scenes were made from ping-pong balls.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature line “I’ll be back” is not uttered in this film; instead, he says “She’ll be back” and “I’m back.”

Production and Financial Data