Ridley Scott says he turned down $20M to direct Terminator 3 because it wasn't his 'thing': 'I ca...

The filmmaker recalls demanding the same payday as star Arnold Schwarzenegger — which nearly backfired. Ridley Scott says he turned down $20M to direct Terminat

The filmmaker recalls demanding the same payday as star Arnold Schwarzenegger — which nearly backfired.

Ridley Scott says he turned down $20M to direct Terminator 3 because it wasn't his 'thing': 'I can't be bought'

The filmmaker recalls demanding the same payday as star Arnold Schwarzenegger — which nearly backfired.

By Raechal Shewfelt

August 29, 2025 4:34 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Ridley Scott at the 'Alien: Romulus' premiere in Hollywood. Credit:

Jesse Grant/Getty

Ridley Scott is standing behind the work he *didn't* do on the 2003 sci-fi movie *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines*.

In a recent Q&A with *The Guardian*, the pioneering *Alien* and *Blade Runner* filmmaker said he declined a considerable sum of money to direct the third installment of the *Terminator* franchise because he didn't vibe with the material.

"I'm proud about this. I turned down a $20 million fee," Scott said. "See, I can't be bought, dude."

Scott, 87, recalled demanding the same payday as star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had toplined *The Terminator* and its blockbuster sequel, *Terminator 2* (both of which were directed by James Cameron). The gambit didn't go as Scott expected.**

Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'.

Warner Brothers/Everett Collection

"Someone said: 'Ask what Arnie gets,'" Scott explained. "I thought: 'I'll try it out.' I said: 'I want what Arnie gets.' When they said yes, I thought: 'F‑‑‑ me.'"

Ultimately, the English director said, "I couldn't do it. It's not my thing. It's like doing a Bond movie. The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. *Terminator* is pure comic strip. I would try to make it real. That's why they've never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I could f‑‑‑ it up."

*** Sign up for **'s free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.*****

** has reached out to Warner Bros., the studio behind *Terminator 3*, for comment on Scott's remarks.

In the end, *Terminator 3* was directed by Jonathan Mostow, who had previously helmed the submarine movie *U-571*. Starring Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, and Kristanna Loken, *Rise of the Machines* received mixed reviews and grossed $433.4 million at the worldwide box office.

Arnold Schwarzenegger says AI has proven the 'Terminator' films right

An exec once asked Ridley Scott why he can't make films about 'normal people'

Scott has previously spoken about turning down another big action sequel,* Top Gun: Maverick*, because his late brother, Tony Scott, made the first movie. "They asked me to [direct] it," he told* The Hollywood Reporter* in November, "and I said, 'I don't want to follow my brother."

Ridley noted then that he and his brother — whose work also included *Days of Thunder*, *True Romance*, and *Enemy of the State* — had very different styles.

"Tony was always interested in today," he said. "A lot of my stuff is either historic, fantasy or science fiction. Tony didn't like fantasy — things like* Alien* or *Blade Runner* or *Legend*."**

Ridley Scott's work in the past 20 years has also included *American Gangster*, *The Martian*, *Alien: Covenant*, and *Gladiator 2*.**

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Movies"

Read More

---

Source: VOGUE MAG

Full Article on Source: VOGUE MAG

#LALifestyle #USCelebrities