Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals 'Twins' Netted Over $40M in Backend Deal: Bigger Payday Than All His Other Films Combined
During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" with Andy Cohen, Arnold Schwarzenegger stunned the host by disclosing that 1988’s "Twins" turned out to be the highest-grossing film for him financially. Despite the success of the "Terminator" series at the box office, "Twins" provided Schwarzenegger with a paycheck exceeding $40 million.
First off, 'Twins' happened because our salaries were non-existent, though we did get a share of the backend profits," Schwarzenegger explained about his agreement to co-star with Danny DeVito in the 1988 comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. "It turned out great; we hit the jackpot with that arrangement.
When questioned about whether he earned over $20 million due to the success of "Twins," Schwarzenegger stated that his earnings were above that amount. When probed further if they surpassed $40 million, the actor responded: "They were higher than that figure. More than what I've made from any film before."
In the movie "Twins," Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito play fraternal twins. At that point, Schwarzeneger had become a renowned action hero due to his roles in films like "The Terminator," "Predator," and "Conan the Barbarian." However, his ability to carry off comedic performances hadn’t been significantly tested with audiences yet.
"Why would they cast me in a comedy?" Schwarzenegger reportedly said to his son, Patrick, during a recent conversation. appstoreofficialid's "Actors on Actors" series They asked, 'Have you lost your mind? The higher the body count of victims he portrays, the greater our earnings. So why alter that?' This remained the stance until Ivan Reitman and Danny DeVito intervened.
No one was interested in making a comedy featuring Schwarzenegger, so he devised a strategy: "If none of us takes a salary, we could produce the film for around $16.5 million." They managed to arrange an agreement granting them 40% of the movie’s profits. This turned out to be their most lucrative deal yet.
"Twins" ultimately raked in $216 million globally at the box office and generated even greater profits through home video sales. Even though the movie was highly lucrative, Schwarzenegger did not get the chance to produce a sequel alongside DeVito. The duo had intended to create a follow-up called "Triplets," adding Eddie Murphy to the ensemble. However, Reitman passed away before they could begin filming.
Watch Schwarzenegger's full appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" in the video below.
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