“The problem of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines the thing is Terminator 2 “It was a seminal film. It was going to be impossible to surprise people, because T2 was the first time a lot of people saw digital effects.” These were the words of Jonathan Mostow, director of the third installment of the saga with Arnold Schwarzeneggerwhich in 2021 (almost 20 years after its release), admitted that its decisions with the film had not been entirely good.
Since its conception, the project was marked by million-dollar demands, a controversial casting and the absence of the main faces of the franchise, ranging from the director James Cameron until Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor) and Edward Furlong (John Connor). These decisions created a complex panorama that, although initially promising in terms of box office, sowed the seeds of disappointment in a saga that has not managed to recover the brilliance of its beginnings to this day.
Returning 12 years later to one of the most iconic film sagas in history has its price and that is something that Arnold Schwarzenegger understood well. For Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinesthe actor had various contractual requirements that would have to be respected 100% if the android T-800 was going to be brought back to life. And of course, this did not come cheap and it was a long and complex process.
The 1991 sequel had been a box office success. Terminator 2: Judgment Day grossed $515 million worldwide on a budget of around $100 million. According to details of his contract revealed by Slate, Schwarzenegger demanded a payment of no less than $29.25 million for his great return.
Of course, Arnold’s conditions did not end there, since in addition to the large salary he received, his contract included being paid an advance of 3 million dollars regardless of whether the film was made or not. The remainder of his compensation would be paid to him later over the course of 19 weeks of production, but if this was extended beyond this period, he would receive an additional $1.6 million per week.
Among other demands, the actor also asked 1.5 million dollars for private jet travel, a trailer with a gym, luxury suits, and access to bodyguards and limousines. Furthermore, the contract also guaranteed Schwarzenegger the 20% of the film’s gross earningscovering home video sales and related licensing agreements, such as video games.
James Cameroncreator and director of the first two installments of Terminatordecided not to participate in the third film, stating that “I had already told all the story I wanted with these characters.” Instead, director Jonathan Mostow took over the leadership of the project. Mostow, upon signing, initially attempted to include Linda Hamilton in his iconic role as Sarah Connorbut acknowledged that the character’s arc was already complete and that he would not have a significant role in the new plot.
Linda Hamilton explained why she turned down the opportunity to reprise her role, speaking to MTV News: “I knew that my character arc was fully developed in the first two films and in the third it would be insignificant. She died in the middle of the story and there was no time to mourn her. He was a throwaway character so I said no thanks”. Furthermore, Cameron’s absence from the project influenced his decision not to get involved in the saga again.
Originally, Edward Furlong I was also going to return as John Connorbut substance abuse problems led Warner Bros. to remove him from production in December 2001. Ultimately, the role went to Nick Stahlwho went through several auditions and screen tests before being cast. Stahl prepared for the role with weapons and motorcycling training, making no attempt to imitate Furlong’s previous performance in the second film.
The android’s choice TX involved an extensive audition process, with approximately 10,000 women going through casting for the role. Schwarzenegger initially wanted the wrestling star Chynawhile Famke Janssen was also considered and, at one point, even the possibility of rewriting the character for her to play Vin Diesel.
Finally, Kristanna Loken She was selected for the role and underwent six weeks of rigorous training including weight training, sparring, weapons handling and Krav Maga. Additionally, Loken took movement classes to perfect her character’s robotic gestures. By this time, Arnold Schwarzenegger had already been one of the first to join the project in June 2000, after reading the draft of the script.
Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent rigorous physical training of nearly three hours a day for six months in preparation for his return to the saga. His goal was reach the same weight and muscle measurements that I had twelve years beforewhen he starred Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Schwarzenegger emphasized that his biggest concern was whether he could regain the physical shape of the previous films, which motivated him to design an exhaustive training program. His commitment to the quality of his performance and to the fans of the saga was demonstrated throughout filming by continuing to exercise intensely.
In an interview with Black Film, Schwarzenegger mentioned the physical challenges he faced in reprising his iconic role. To his 56 yearsknew it wouldn’t be easy to regain the muscle and strength he had shown in previous installments. However, this didn’t discourage him and he focused on an intensive exercise regimen until he achieved his goal, training even in the middle of filming.
Kristanna Loken, who played the imposing TX, also carried out notable physical preparation. To play the fearsome robotic villain, she gained more than 15 pounds (7 kilograms of muscle). Her training was not limited to bodybuilding; she also worked with mime coach Thorsten Heinze, a collaborator of Marcel Marceau, to perfect her character’s robotic movements. This combination of physical and technical efforts allowed her to bring the antagonist to life.
Despite Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines collection 433.4 million worldwide With a budget of 187.3 million dollars (167.3 million without counting general production expenses), its legacy has been questioned over time to the point of being considered one of the worst installments of the saga.
Although the film received approval from the 70% on Rotten Tomatoeswith a critical consensus calling it “a welcome addition to the Terminator franchise,” public perception has changed.
At the time, AO Scott of The New York Times He commented that the film was “essentially a B-movie, content to be loud, dumb and obvious”Likewise, Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars, stating that it was “a long chase and fight, interrupted by comical, camp and simplistic dialogue”.
As time went by, even the director himself, Jonathan Mostow, reflected on the criticism and pointed out that the second part was going to be impossible to beat and admitted that the humor he decided to add to the film was not the best option. “I knew we couldn’t do that.” […] That’s why we chose to use humor, which is loaded at the beginning of the film. Some of it is too silly, some of it hasn’t aged well over time“I will be the first to confess it,” he said.
Although Cameron initially called the third installment “in a word: great,” he later expressed that he felt his first two films were better than later ones. Of course, with such a huge box office hit, neither the critics nor the creator of the series’ own opinion would prevent more sequels from being produced, which in the long run, turned out to be a huge disappointment.
In 2009, six years later, it would arrive Terminator: Salvationwhich was intended to start a new trilogy, was considered a failure. Later, Terminator Genesisan attempted reboot in 2015, would once again disappoint fans after failing to meet expected box office expectations.
Ultimately, the lack of a unifying vision and the absence of Cameron’s touch on the sequels contributed to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinesbecame the first stumbling block for true lovers of the original story. The millions have not been lacking, but as Adrian Massanet from the Espinof portal points out, “It is one of the worst films” and “a vile twist” that ends up being “childish and laughable”.
