Arnold Schwarzenegger's Highest-Paying Movie Is Leaving Netflix This Month
Most people assume Arnold Schwarzenegger's biggest paycheck came from The Terminator, Predator, or one of his other iconic action franchises. It didn't. It came from a comedy — and it's leaving Netflix on March 31.
Twins, the 1988 buddy comedy directed by Ivan Reitman, pairs Schwarzenegger with Danny DeVito as Julius and Vincent Benedict, fraternal twins who were the product of a secret genetic experiment and separated at birth. Julius grew up on a tropical island, intelligent and physically imposing but completely naive about the real world. Vincent grew up in a Los Angeles orphanage, becoming a street-smart hustler always one step ahead of debt collectors. When Julius tracks him down, the two set off on a road trip to find their long-lost mother.
The premise is pure high-concept absurdity, but it worked. Twins opened at number one at the U.S. box office and stayed there for several weeks, eventually grossing $112 million domestically. Critics were divided — it holds a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes — but audiences weren't. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, and the movie is well-loved by fans.
How Did 'Twins' Make Schwarzanegger More Money Than Any Other Film?
The reason it made Schwarzenegger more money than any other film in his career comes down to a bold bet he, DeVito, and Reitman made before a single frame was shot. Rather than taking their standard salaries, all three agreed to work entirely for a share of the backend profits — 40 percent of the film's backend between them. In a 2016 interview, Schwarzenegger called the decision to forego his salary and invest in himself one of the best of his entire life.
The film was also a pivotal career moment for Schwarzenegger personally. Studio executives had fought hard against casting him in a comedy at all, insisting his value was in action. Reitman and DeVito pushed back — and the result was a collaboration that led to two more films together, Kindergarten Cop in 1990 and Junior in 1994.
Twins streams on Netflix through March 31. Also leaving the streaming service this month are The Sandlot on March 12 and Wrath of Man on March 24.