While many films in Hollywood have gone on to become iconic franchises that have stood the test of time over the years, a few movies have come extremely close to achieving this status without success. Arnold Schwarzenegger who has been the face of one of the biggest action franchises namely the Terminator series, ironically missed out on another potential blockbuster opportunity.
In 1990, the Austrian Oak starred in one of his biggest hits, Total Recall, a sci-fi action thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film made historic numbers at the box office while also cementing Schwarzenegger’s place as arguably the greatest Hollywood action star. Expectedly, the futuristic narrative lent itself to being considered for a sequel which was on the cards with actor-director Jonathan Frakes expressing keen interest in helming it. Unfortunately, the dream did not materialize.
Why Was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall Sequel Never Made?
In the 90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the peak of his superstardom in Hollywood. Following his cult role in James Cameron’s Terminator, the former Mr. Olympia went on to star in many blockbuster action films including 1990’s sci-fi thriller, Total Recall. In the movie, Schwarzenegger plays a construction worker in a futuristic world who gets falsified memories implanted in his brain to travel to Mars.
Along with a narrative that was ahead of its time, Total Recall further fortified the Predator actor’s position as a huge superstar in Hollywood. With a great run at the box office, the film was considered to be developed into a sequel with actor Jonathan Frakes showing an interest in directing it.
Frakes who is a recognizable face as Commander William Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation, is also credited with directing an episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In a comment that now features in the X handle of Only Film Media, Frakes’ eagerness suggested that the film was definitely on the cards in the late 90s with Schwarzenegger to reprise his role.
“We’ve got a script from the writer of the original, and we’re giving some notes on it. It’s a very big, wonderful, expensive script. I’m waiting for Miramax to get up on the dime & actually go ahead with ‘Total Recall 2’.”
Unfortunately, for reasons that are still unclear, the Star Trek actor was unable to get the project off the ground. Few speculations claim various reasons including problems in finalizing the film’s script, scheduling clashes, and Frakes’ own commitments to finishing up Star Trek. This indecisiveness could have most probably led to Schwarzenegger moving ahead to sign on other projects including The 6th Day. While the film was ultimately remade with Colin Farrell in 2012, it could not live up to the lofty reputation of the original.
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Chose Movies Over Another Promising Career
Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably one of Hollywood’s most iconic superstars especially in the realm of action. Over 5 decades, the Austrian celebrity has been the face of some of the industry’s biggest blockbusters including Terminator, True Lies, Commando, and many more. Schwarzenegger was so passionate about his dream to become an actor, that he was willing to turn down a promising offer to represent Jack Lalanne Gyms, which was right up his alley as a champion bodybuilding exponent.
The Expendables star in an appearance in The Howard Stern Show, elaborated on the reasons behind refusing the deal and his passion to pursue movies. Speaking of what attracted him to Hollywood, who he was inspired by, and what prompted him to take the plunge as an actor, The former Governor of California said,
“I thought about it, and I said to myself, Wait a minute. My goal is to be a leading man in movies and to be another Clint Eastwood and Charles Branson. Those were the big stars at the time and got a million dollars a movie. I want to make a million dollars a movie and I want to shoot for that goal”
While the $200,000 that was offered by Lalanne Gyms to Schwarzenegger was not small change, the actor confessed that the hectic schedule of working 10 to 12 hours a day for the organization would have denied him the opportunity to study acting and work on other things to pursue his Hollywood dream.
