On July 3, 1991, fans of the iconic franchise “Terminator” eagerly awaited the grand release of the blockbuster film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Directed by James Cameron and featuring the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role, the film marked a significant return of the franchise. Notably, it became a commercial success, establishing itself as the highest-grossing film of the year.
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” let’s take a look at 10 fascinating facts surrounding one of the most celebrated action films of all time:
1. Director James Cameron sold the rights to the entire franchise for just 1 USD, which meant he had to be the one sitting in the director’s chair for the first film, “The Terminator,” released in 1984.
2. The role of T-1000 was initially intended for pop star Billy Idol, but it was later given to actor Robert Patrick due to Idol’s motorcycle accident.
3. Initially, Arnold Schwarzenegger was meant to portray the T-800 as a “good guy” and wouldn’t kill anyone. Director James Cameron had to convince him to continue in this iconic role.
4. The film won 4 Academy Awards, including “Best Sound Editing,” “Best Sound Effects,” “Best Visual Effects,” and “Best Makeup.” It also received nominations for “Best Cinematography” and “Best Film Editing.”
5. At its release in 1991, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was the most expensive film ever produced, with a budget exceeding 102 million USD.
6. Initially, John Connor was to have a peaceful life in the future. However, this ending was changed at the last minute to leave room for future sequels.
7. This film holds the highest average rating on IMDb for the “Terminator” franchise, boasting an impressive score of 8.5, ranking 41st on the top 250 films list.
8. The famous quote “Hasta la vista, baby” had to be changed to “Sayonara, baby” for the Spanish release to better suit the humor of the T-800’s use of another language.
9. The mini-gun featured in the film is the same weapon used in the movie “Predator,” another famous film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
10. The visual effects breakthroughs in the film were closely tied to the initial versions of the Photoshop software.
