Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $85,000,000 Worth Movie That Was “Slaughtered” at the Time of Release Is Still “Getting the Residual Checks” After 30 Years

Published 07/04/2023, 10:03 AM EDT

After years of inactivity, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to acting with FUBAR on Netflix. The show immediately climbed to the top of the charts after release, and a second season is on the way. Nearly a month back, Schwarzenegger sat with The Hollywood Reporter for an exclusive interview days before FUBAR’s May 25 release. The hype around FUBAR’s release was massive. However, during the interview, the bodybuilding legend opened up about a similarly anticipated $85 million project that failed at the box office in 1993.

Looking back at his success, the interviewer said Arnie was the “biggest box office star for a stretch during the 80s and 90s.” During this period, Schwarzenegger started appearing in films like The Terminator, The Predator, True Lies, and more. However, while everyone knows about Scharzenegger’s hits, the interviewer asked the 75-year-old about his most “underrated” role.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biggest flop came right after his biggest success

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Arnold Schwarzenegger said his most underrated film was The Last Action Hero. “It was slaughtered before anybody saw it,” said the seven-time Mr. Olympia. The 75-year-old said that the campaign against the film started even before it made it to theaters. “It was literally a political attack,” said Arnie, because he campaigned for George H.W. Bush, “but Bill Clinton won.”

The action cinema icon believes the 1993 film was better than it got credit for. “It wasn’t fantastic, but it was underrated,” said the actor. The Last Action Hero, directed by John McTiernan, dealt with meta concepts. Despite being an action film, it parodied several popular action movie tropes. However, the audience at the time didn’t appreciate the lofty concept.

However, thirty years after the $85 million film’s disastrous domestic run that saw it earn little over $50 million, “more and more people are seeing it.” According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, most people now think the movie is great. “I’m getting the residual checks, so I know it’s true. It made money,” Arnie told THR. He said it’s important to him because that’s how he knows the film made money. In 1993, however, the bodybuilding champion felt quite differently.

Arnold Schwarzenegger sank into depression

Shortly after The Last Action Hero hit theaters, the reviews disparaged the film. Critics ripped it to shreds and attacked nearly every film the Austrian Oak had starred in. The audience also didn’t receive the film well. The overall response devastated the former champion bodybuilder. At one point, Schwarzenegger thought he would never recover from the disaster.

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Despite the World Identifying Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator, His Youngest Son Picks This Critical and Commercial Disappointment as His Favorite Dad Movie

In his 2012 book Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, the actor recounted how he sank into depression. Even the support of his family couldn’t cheer him up. Schwarzenegger compared the box-office disaster with how he felt after losing to Frank Zane in 1968. For Arnie, losing Mr. Universe to Zane and the reception of The Last Action Hero had the same effect.

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While things seemed bleak to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1993, he bounced back with True Lies in 1994. He has also understood the value of the 1993 film, as despite being dragged through the mud, people still watch and like it.

Watch this story | “Up there with Arnold”: Fitness world bows to 67-year-old bodybuilding “iron warrior” over his yesteryear picture

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Written by:

Sagnik Bagchi is a sports writer at EssentiallySports who specializes in American sports. He has a deep understanding of combat sports, gymnastics, and weightlifting. He holds a Master's Degree in English Literature from a top university.

Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $85,000,000 Worth Movie That Was “Slaughtered” at the Time of Release Is Still “Getting the Residual Checks” After 30 Years

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biggest flop came right after his biggest success

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Arnold Schwarzenegger sank into depression