When James Cameron dropped Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1992, it cracked the planet in two with its monstrous success. It was the quintessential sequel - bigger, badder and more exciting than its platinum-grade predecessor. James Cameron had struck gold once again, paving his way for future projects like the 1990s Oscar-winning Titanic.
However, the studio wasn't ready to pull the plug on the Terminator franchise just yet. They moved forward with a third installment that did not include Cameron in the director's chair. Terminator 3 was a divisive action sequel that remains controversial to this very day. Here are just a few things about its wild production that most fans didn't know.
It Was A Paycheck Movie
According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terminator 3 was nothing but a paycheck movie. Neither he nor original director James Cameron was interested in making another sequel after the way the story was wrapped up in Terminator 2, but the studio had other plans.
Cameron's interest in the Terminator franchise had waned by that point, prompting him to tell Schwarzenegger to "take the money and run." Both would later come to regret the decision based on how the final film turned out in comparison to the previous two.
Arnold's Perks
To reprise his iconic role as the titular cyborg, Arnold Schwarzenegger received an obscene amount of money and a host of crazy perks that would make Jack Nicholson jealous. He received nearly $30 million to reprise the role, regardless of whether the movie was made or not.
He also received $1.5 million for private jets, full 3-bedroom luxury suites, 24/7 limo service, a gym/trailer, and bodyguard protection. To top it all off, Schwarzenegger demanded a 20% cut of every single merchandising avenue from DVD sales to video game licensing - and he got it.
Furlong's Furlough
Edward Furlong was considered to reprise his role as John Connor for the next installment, but unfortunately, his substance abuse problems halted that possibility. In the end, Furlong was passed up in favor of another actor.
Several were considered for the role before it eventually fell to Nick Stahl, despite him almost needing to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Although Stahl pulled out a decent performance, it would have been better to see Furlong step into John's shoes for the sake of continuity.
The Character Of John Connor Began Taking A Dark Turn In This Movie
In the original script for Terminator 3, John Connor wasn't simply paranoid about the future and another attempt on his life by a Terminator. Rather, he felt that the victory at Cyberdyne systems and the changing of future events had rendered his own life meaningless.
As such, the character was supposed to have contemplated suicide, perhaps due to the crushing psychological trauma of his experiences, the burden of believing he was humanity's last hope, and the loss of his iconic mother Sarah. With his future purpose deprived of him, Connor believed he had nothing left to offer the world.
Earl Boen's Last Movie Role
Earl Boen played the nefarious and condescending Dr. Silberman in the first Terminator film who is called to the police precinct to gauge the mental stability of Kyle Reese. He would later pop up in Terminator 2 as the head of the Pescadero mental hospital who seems to take delight in taunting Sarah Connor.
Silberman made one final appearance in the Terminator franchise in a cameo where Silberman tries to comfort a traumatized Kate Brewster after the shootout at the cemetery. This would also be the last time Earl Boen would appear on-screen in a film role before hanging back to concentrate on voiceover work for TV shows and video games like World of Warcraft and Psychonauts.
A Party At Saddam Hussein's Palace
Toppling a vicious dictator responsible for the murder of tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people is one of the more satisfying accomplishments in life, but using his former base of operations to entertain troops with a sci-fi flick is just icing on the cake.
That's precisely what happened when Schwarzenegger played T3 for troops stationed in Iraq following the fall of Baghdad - in Saddam Hussein's former palace. Just desserts, for certain.
A Weapon After Rumsfeld's Own Heart
When the T-X's primary weapon is damaged by an RPG fired by the T-850, it is forced to switch to another weapon to continue the assault. The T-X's heads-up display shows it cycling through a multitude of different weapons with unique titles.
One of the weapons on the list is the "Rumsfeld P81 Caustic," which is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense under the George W. Bush administration.
A Change Of Relationship
Director Jonathan Mostow was concerned about casting Schwarzenegger as a benevolent father-figure Terminator like the one he portrayed in the highly detailed and complex T2: Judgment Day. He felt that it would be nothing but a retread of old ground without the magic that made their relationship so special.
To compensate, both Mostow and Schwarzenegger agreed that this new Terminator should be something of a drill sergeant and an authority figure. As such, the Terminator was written so as not to obey John's orders, but to fulfill predefined mission parameters, whether he liked them or not.
The Upgraded Terminator
Most Terminator fans recognize Schwarzenegger in the titular role, but T3's Terminator is a much different model from the two that appeared before. Both The Terminator and Terminator 2 portrayed a T-800 model which, at the time, was widely regarded as one of the deadliest machines SkyNET ever produced.
The Terminator sent back in T3 is a T-850, which is an upgrade on its predecessor in almost every way. This model sported an even more durable combat chassis which was resistant to plasma weapons, better human psychology subroutines, and the addition of two hydrogen fuel cells for maximum power and longevity.
Kate's Continuity Goofs
For a twist on the relationship between John and the Terminator as shown in T2, it was decided that Kate Brewster would be the one who could successfully give him orders. This was meant to connect directly to future events where Kate predefined the Terminator's mission directives following John's death.
However, the continuity of this scene doesn't add up given that the Terminator blatantly ignores Kate's orders to let her go. While this could have been a preprogrammed subroutine, it's highly obvious that the writers simply didn't take this inconvenient little plot hole into account.