You could say the ’80s were a time of classics. To this day, many of the films and franchises that top the list of productions that have gone down in history came out of that decade. In all sorts of genres, from the thrilling E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to the fun Back to the Future, the era gave us unforgettable movies that still influence cinema today. But one of them definitely stands out, especially when we think of action and sci-fi. The Terminator became one of the biggest franchises, taking Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron to new levels in their careers, while also expanding and getting spin-offs.
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When it was first released, the first movie made $78.3 million worldwide and set itself up as a milestone with its approach, script, and impressive special effects for its time. It was so successful that even one line became iconic and transcended generations. To this day, people know exactly what it means when you say, “I’ll be back.” However, not many people know that those three words took a bit of work for both the lead actor and the filmmaker. Originally, it was something different in the script, but Schwarzenegger didn’t want to use any line as it felt uncomfortable for him. Basically, the way we know it today came from a lot of persistence.
How the Iconic Line From Terminator Was Just a Blooper
In the first Terminator movie, the iconic line makes its debut in a very specific scene. The T-800 arrives at a police station where Sarah Connor is being held. When he tries to enter, the reception sergeant stops him, saying he can’t see her. The cyborg then calmly scans his surroundings, leans in toward the officer, and says, “I’ll be back.” Not long after, he returns, driving a car through the police station’s entrance, destroying the reception desk, and launching a violent attack. The whole moment is so unexpected (even though it’s slowly becoming clear he’s about to do something), which makes it all the more memorable and contributes to that phrase becoming such a key part of the franchise.
In the end, it became a trademark and was repeated in various forms in the sequels. However, Schwarzenegger didn’t stick to the script at first, and that line was basically a blooper. For the Netflix series Arnold, Cameron revealed that the original line was supposed to be “I’ll come back,” and it wasn’t even meant to be a big moment. “It was literally meant to be, on its face, ‘No problem, I’ll come back, I’ll come back,’” he explained. Turns out the actor couldn’t say it because he was uncomfortable with how the line was supposed to be delivered, and it seems it took a while to get the scene just right.
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In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schwarzenegger reflected on the behind-the-scenes of the first film, revealing that Cameron asked him to at least say something simpler like “I’ll be back.” But the actor thought it sounded funny for a Terminator to say it. “I think about how it was an accident. Jim Cameron and I were debating how to say the line because I was not comfortable with saying ‘I’ll,’” he said. For the actor, it felt stronger to emphasize each word – “I will be back” – especially because the T-800 was a machine. He also later admitted that his German accent made the pronunciation tricky.
The problem was that Cameron didn’t take it too well. “Cameron said, ‘Are you the scriptwriter now? It’s just one word. Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act,’” Schwarzenegger recalled. “‘Arnold, you think it sounds weird. It doesn’t. What makes it great is that you sound different than me or Charlie over there. That’s what makes it work. So just say it 10 times. Say it different ways. I’ll keep rolling the camera. Then we’ll choose one,’” the actor remembered Cameron saying.
In the end, there were multiple takes, with the line delivered in different ways, with varying emotions. Schwarzenegger later admitted that he was actually wrong about wanting to change the line. It became legendary in the world of cinema exactly as it was meant to be.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Surprised by the Proportion the Line Took
It really was just a simple blooper, but it’s always a great surprise to see how certain details turn out to be unexpected things. After the release of The Terminator, Schwarzenegger revealed that fans would approach him in the middle of Central Park, asking him to say the famous line. At first, he didn’t understand, but as they kept insisting, he began to realize just how big it was. Later, the same thing started happening naturally, wherever he went.
To this day, the actor is still approached to say it, but he doesn’t mind.
“It’s wild. I’m the last one to get complicated and say, ‘I don’t want to compare myself to my movies or use a line from my movies.’ Hell, Clint Eastwood takes the clothes from his movies and that’s all he wears. So why would I be worried about using a line?” he admitted. Cameron has expressed a desire to continue the franchise, but unfortunately, Schwarzenegger has already said that he won’t be returning as the Terminator. Even so, his performance remains completely memorable, especially in the early films. His iconic catchphrase is proof of that.
The Terminator is available to stream on Apple TV+.
