How "Terminator" conquered the world: unexpected facts of the cult action movie

40 years ago, the world first saw "The Terminator, " a film that became not just a part of pop culture, but a real phenomenon. James Cameron, who was at the beginning of his career, laid the foundation not only for science fiction, but also for his future as a director.

The night terror that changed cinema

The story of the origin of "Terminator" was not accidental. During the filming of Piranha 2, Cameron fell ill and experienced a nightmare that inspired him to create a killer cyborg.

"I saw a metal skeleton crawling across the floor with a knife—that was my Terminator, " Cameron recalls.

Coincidence or fate: how the actors were chosen

Initially, the role of the cyborg was supposed to fall to the fate of O. Jay Simpson, but Cameron's meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger changed everything. Arnold expressed sincere admiration for the script and the director saw in him the "metal" look that is so necessary for the role.

Budget revolution: from idea to implementation

Cameron, who was living in his car, managed to get Gail Ann Hurd interested in the idea and close a deal by selling the script for one dollar. This was the first step towards financing through Orion Pictures and HBO. Thanks to this, the budget of the film increased from 4 to 6.5 million dollars, which allowed the use of special effects, which were rare at the time.

Filming that went down in history

Thanks to the support of John Daly of Hemdale Film Corporation, filming began in March 1984 and lasted 12 weeks. During them, the most modern technologies were used, which made "Terminator" not only visually impressive, but also technically advanced.

This film broke stereotypes, becoming not only the starting point for Cameron's career, but also changing the idea of ​​​​the possibilities of the science fiction genre. His influence is still felt today, inspiring new generations of creators.

Editor: Emiliia Morozova