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Key Points

Ridley Scott recently revealed he turned down a massive $20 million offer to direct Terminator 3. He even tested the producers by demanding Arnold Schwarzenegger's salary level, which they agreed to pay. Scott explained that he couldn't take the job because the Terminator franchise's comic-book style didn't match his filmmaking approach. Despite the huge financial incentive, the director stood by his artistic principles and walked away from one of Hollywood's biggest paydays.

Key Points: Ridley Scott Turned Down 20M Terminator 3 Director Fee

  • Ridley Scott rejected $20M to direct Terminator 3
  • He asked for Arnold Schwarzenegger's salary and got it
  • Scott felt Terminator was too comic-strip for his style
  • The 2003 film grossed over $433 million worldwide
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Director Ridley Scott turned down a 20M USD fee when offered to direct 'Terminator III'

Director Ridley Scott reveals he rejected a $20 million offer to direct Terminator 3, stating "I can't be bought" despite Arnold Schwarzenegger-level pay.

"I turned down a 20M USD fee. See, I can't be bought, dude. - Ridley Scott"

Washington DC, August 29

Director Ridley Scott revealed that he turned down a 20 million USD offer to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer 'Terminator 3: Rise Of Machines' in the past.

'Terminator 3' was directed by Jonathan Mostow and was one of the superhit films.

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker recently told The Guardian, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, that he turned down a huge sum of money when offered by the makers of Terminator 3, saying that he "can't be bought."

"I'm proud about this. I turned down a 20M USD fee. See, I can't be bought, dude," said Ridley Scott as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

While the 2003 Arnold Schwarzenegger-led pic was ultimately helmed by director Jonathan Mostow, Scott admitted he did inquire about the lead star's pay for the third instalment before officially declining the offer.

"Someone said: 'Ask what Arnie gets.' I thought: 'I'll try it out.' I said: 'I want what Arnie gets.' When they said yes, I thought: 'F*** Me,'" the Gladiator II director recalled as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

However, despite this, when he learned how much he could earn by taking on the sci-fi action film, Scott said he still "couldn't do it."

He added, "It's not my thing. It's like doing a [James] Bond movie. The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. Terminator is a pure comic strip. I would try to make it real. That's why they've never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I could mess it up," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

'Terminator 3' follows John Connor (Nick Stahl) as he faces a female Terminator with power over all the machines.

But a new Terminator unit, a T-850, is sent back through time to help guide him through the coming battle. The movie grossed more than 433 million USD worldwide, not adjusted for inflation.

As for Ridley Scott, the director is known for films including 'Alien' (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), Gladiator (2000), Thelma & Louise (1991), House of Gucci (2021) and Napoleon (2023), among others.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Wow! 20 million dollars is around 160 crore rupees! That's more than many Bollywood films' entire budget. Can't imagine turning that down 😳
A
Arjun K
Honestly, T3 wasn't that great anyway. Maybe Ridley Scott would have made it better with his realistic approach. The franchise went downhill after T2.
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Sarah B
His self-awareness is impressive. Knowing what you're good at and what's not your thing shows true professionalism. More directors should think like this!
Kavya N
But imagine if he had directed it! Alien + Terminator director's vision would have been something else entirely. Missed opportunity for sci-fi fans 😔
M
Michael C
That "F*** Me" moment when they agreed to pay him Arnold's salary must have been priceless! 😂 Hollywood money is on another level entirely.

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