“I thought this isn’t quite normal”: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Who Took Home $30 Million for 1997 DC Flop, Stunned Director by Charging $0 for Low Budget Thriller

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a terrific acting career with many blockbusters and high-end projects in his portfolio. Still, it also is filled with a list of failures he experienced in Hollywood. However, there is an exciting project the actor did that highly stunned the film director as he took no less than $0 million to work on a low-budget thriller film.

Also Read: Chris Hemsworth Calls Meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger a ‘Highlight’ in His Life, Despite Hating Being Compared to the Action Star

Well, it is a bit of a surprise for many since many are aware of the whopping paycheck he received when he starred in a DC project that was a complete flop.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Agreed to Work for $0 Million in Maggie

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Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to work in 2015’s Maggie film after falling in love with the film script. Recalling the time when he went through the script he shared,

“When I read it, I knew I had to do it.”

Henry Hobson who debuted as a director with this project threw light on how the film’s budget was $1.4m. However, things went better when the former joined the project as an actor and producer.

The latter explained his entry in his directorial project as a surreal moment stating,

“[I thought] this isn’t quite normal. This is someone I’ve grown up with seeing on screen … a pinch-yourself moment.”

As to what exactly touched the Terminator star’s heartstrings, Hobson responded that his visual art skills explained “my thoughts behind each scene” which spanned around 200 pages.

“[Schwarzenegger had] never seen that before … It put him in my headspace.”

He played the role of Wade, a protective father who wants to save his daughter when she gets infected with a walking-dead virus. It received mixed reviews from critics. It is quite amusing to know that the action star charged $0 for his job when he is the same actor who took home $30 million in his flopped project.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fat Paycheck for Batman & Robin

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In 1997, Arnold Schwarzenegger made his debut in DC Universe by portraying the role of Dr. Victor Fries, also known as Mr. Freeze, in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin.

The project was a disastrous flop that only grossed $238.2 million worldwide with many considering it to be one of the worst films ever made after its negative reviews. Despite the criticism, Schwarzenegger’s salary remain untouched as he took home a whopping paycheck of $30 million for his role. 

He admitted while talking to The Hollywood Reporter,

“It was Batman & Robin where they gave me over $30 million. I became the highest-paid entertainer in the history of Hollywood.”

While the salary is indeed record-breaking for him at the time, his hard work cannot be underestimated. It was reported that it would take up to six hours every day just to get him changed for the villain role. The film also starred George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone among several others. 

Batman & Robin is available for streaming on HBO Max meanwhile Maggie is available on Prime Video. 

Source: The Guardian