12 Perfect Casting Choices That Launched Major Film Franchises
5. Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator
Can you imagine the Terminator being played by Mel Gibson? Or Tom Selleck? O.J. Simpson? When Arnold Schwarzenegger was shown the script, he originally wanted to play Kyle Reese (which went to Michael Biehn), but director James Cameron convinced him that the star was the Terminator. Orion Pictures didnt have much faith in The Terminator; for them, it was a property to be shoehorned in just before Oscar season began in November. It did well in theaters, but it was on home video that it really took off. Several special editions later, it still resonates as a strong science fiction entry, and has spawned three sequels, a TV series and a reboot (Terminator: Genesis, now in production). An Austrian bodybuilder turned actor, Schwarzenegger was already a rising star at the time of The Terminators release; he had already done two successful Conan films. This role sealed him as a bankable action star, even though he only has 18 lines in the whole film. In fact, some have speculated that his lack of lines was more of an asset, as he was still mastering the English language. His following two outings as the T-800, in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, plus other roles where he played the action heavy, made him one of the biggest stars on the world stage. After serving as Governor of California (pundits called him the Governator) from 2003 to 2010, he has returned to the action genre, but has not brought in the big box office of his pre-political days.
