The Terminator, which is sometimes argued to be science fiction and other times sci-fi horror, is undoubtedly one of the hallmarks of James Cameron's career, yet the director made a huge mistake before the film ever hit theaters just to have his name on the director credit.
The Terminator was released in 1984, before Cameron's career as a director had taken off. It went on to spawn a massive sci-fi franchise that has spanned generations; currently, there are six movies and a television series under the franchise's umbrella. There are also numerous games that bear The Terminator's name. While Cameron likely hoped he had a good thing on his hands when he co-wrote the script for the film, his ability as a director was called into question, as he only had one film directing credit under his belt at that time.
While icons such as Cameron likely have more than a few regrets regarding their artistic choices and careers, Cameron has cited one in particular that has haunted him since the film's release.
James Cameron Sold The Script To Terminator For $1
Prior to directing and co-writing The Terminator, Cameron directed Piranha II: The Spawning in 1982. Cameron's directorial debut wasn't well received; critics panned the film and commented on the aesthetic of the film, effects, and one called it "abject". Currently, it holds a mere 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. Therefore, even though The Terminator was a good idea, one that he shared with his then-partner, Gale Ann Hurd (The Walking Dead), Cameron was not considered trustworthy as a director. Nobody wanted him to direct the film because of Piranha II's failure and because he was an unknown, and too new to take on something that was so ambitious.
Cameron received many offers for the script from studios that weren't interested in hiring him as an unknown to direct it, therefore, even though some of the offers were attached to large amounts of money, he turned them all down. The idea for the script, according to Cameron, came to him in a dream and he was very attached to it. Finally, Cameron struck a deal with his co-writer, Hurd, that stated that he would sell her the complete rights to the script for the sum of one dollar on the stipulation that he could be the film's director. Hurd had suggested edits to Cameron's original script, and therefore got a co-writer credit on the film. Hurd agreed to Cameron's deal, and, while Cameron got his wish of being The Terminator's director, the burst of success that came post-release made him regret his decision entirely.
In a 2009 interview with The Toronto Sun, Cameron said, "I wish I hadn't sold the rights for one dollar. If I had a little time machine and I could only send back something the length of a Tweet, it'd be - 'don't sell.'" While the move - regrettable as it was - did lead to Cameron having a fantastic career, as he went on to direct films like Titanic, Avatar, True Lies, Aliens, and even the sequel to The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He also has some of the highest-grossing films of all time. Cameron may have regretted his choice to sell The Terminator rights for so cheap, but sometimes, the risks are worth it.