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James Cameron has given breathtaking projects that continue to impress audiences even today. He’s known for his pioneering work in science fiction and action genres, gaining significant acclaim with his 1984 filmThe Terminatorstarring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie’s success cemented his place as a formidable director, who made a loud comeback with its sequel,Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991).
Given the cinematic masterpiece he served to the world, it would be surprising for many that the director faced the daunting challenge of completing it with an impossible deadline imposed by the studio.
James Cameron’sTerminator 2Had a Serious Deadline!
With the success ofThe Terminator(1984),Arnold Schwarzeneggerattained an A-list star status whereas film directorJames Camerongot an instant boost in his career. The film presented a unique blend of sci-fi and action, which garnered a significant fanbase and great box-office returns.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator 2 Co-star Had to do One Unbelievable Training To Prepare Him For the Gun Shooting Scenes
As a result, whispers about a potential sequel started to emerge, with the titular actor, having a keen interest in reprising his role back then.
However, bringingTerminator 2: Judgment Day(T2)to the big screen was far from easy asCarolco Pictures, the film studio that held the film rights toT2gave a tight deadline to Cameron to finish the film script.
Cameron wrote the movie script with William Wisher, who was well-acquainted with the former since they were kids.
The writer toldThe Ringer,“I think we were 18, 19 when we met. I did some writing on The Terminator.”
WhenT2was in early development, the iconic director approached Wisher once again to pen the movie script with him, keeping in mind that they were already behind schedule. He added,
We had been talking about doing something else and he called me up one day and said, ‘I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Terminator 2 is going to happen and the bad news is that we’re already behind schedule, so why don’t you come on over here right now.’
This deadline was nearly impossible by industry standards, especially when the movie required complex action sequences, among other elements that needed meticulous attention. Moreover, the sequel had to be an absolute banger since the first part was a mega-hit, which significantly elevated everyone’s hopes forT2.
Terminator 2: Judgment DayCo-Writer Shared How He Worked With James Cameron on the Film Script
While one would think that the script was the only difficulty that the director had to tackle, it was just the tip of the iceberg. After the outstanding success of the 1984 banger, the actor-director duo were prompted to make a sequel right away, but the project never took off in the 80s.
However, several factors didn’t greenlight the project, which included clashing schedules as Linda Hamilton was busy with TV’sBeauty And The Beastwhereas thePredatoractor had a string of projects lined up that kept him away from his main saga.
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Even the film rights in itself were an issue, as half belonged to Cameron’s ex-wife, producer Gale Anne Hurd, and the other were in the hands of Hemdale, the independent studio that financed the first film. After their continuous issues with the company, they eventually sold the rights ofThe Terminatorfranchise to Carolco for $5m in 1990, as perDen of Geek.
The writer reflected (viaDen of Geek) that the release date was already scheduled with the duo writing side by side to complete the script.
We wrote out, effectively, a treatment which became the script. The term Jim likes to use is a scriptment. We spent a couple of weeks doing that, and that was the whole movie, really.
Wisher continued,
Then we cut it in half, and went off to our own corners and fleshed it out into screenplay form. Then we got back together, glued the two halves together and spent, in my memory, about three days going over it and polishing it up. Jim printed it, stuck it in his briefcase, the car came and picked him up, and off he went to Cannes.
Despite the seemingly impossible deadline, Cameron’s expertise and his teamwork with Wisher made it possible to deliver the scripting in time. The result was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful sequel, which grossed over $515 million worldwide, viaThe Numbers.
Terminator 2: Judgment Dayis streaming on Paramount Plus.
Priya Sharma
Articles Published :1321
Priya Sharma, Senior Content Writer and Social Media Manager at FandomWire and Animated Times. Having graduated in Journalism and Mass Communication, she possesses extensive expertise in crafting engaging and informative content. She has written over 2000 articles across Animated Times and FandomWire on pop culture, showing her dedication to delivering diverse and trending content to readers across the world. Apart from pop culture, she is quite enthusiastic about the Hallyu culture and is exploring the world of anime, expanding the horizons of her knowledge.
