Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Biggest Paycheck Came From the Most Unexpected Movie Ever
Arnold Schwarzenegger made his fortune playing action heroes, but what a lot of people don’t know is that his largest payday came from a film that didn’t involve explosions, cyborgs, or chase scenes.
In 1988, he starred in Twins, a comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and co-starring Danny DeVito. The project began as a financial experiment, with the studio keeping production costs low, and Schwarzenegger took a backend deal instead of a traditional salary.
That gamble ended up securing him substantial funds, far beyond what he earned on any other film.
The Unlikely Film That Outpaid Every Action Blockbuster
By 1988, Schwarzenegger had already built a strong reputation through films like The Terminator, Predator, and Commando. Studios tied his name to action, and executives believed his value was linked to the number of onscreen enemies he defeated. That idea changed when he expressed interest in comedy. Industry insiders questioned why anyone would cast an action star in a light-hearted, character-driven film.
But Schwarzenegger didn’t wait for approval. He pitched the Twins with Ivan Reitman and Danny DeVito and proposed a financial trade-off. Instead, they negotiated contract points that gave them a collective 40 percent of the film’s profits.
The studio accepted the terms and expected moderate returns. What happened instead was a commercial breakthrough. The arrangement didn’t just apply to theatrical release, but also extended to home video and television licensing, which increased total profits significantly.
That move reduced the budget and gave them a larger share if the film succeeded. In the end, Twins ended up grossing over $216 million globally. Schwarzenegger later confirmed on multiple interviews that this deal earned him a sum that exceeded $40 million, which made it his most profitable role by far, despite coming from a film many didn’t expect to work.
The Sequel That Never Made It to Production
Such was the success of the movie that a sequel to Twins, titled Triplets was in development years later. The project was set to reunite Schwarzenegger and DeVito and introduce Eddie Murphy as the long-lost third sibling.
However, the project was shelved following the death of director Ivan Reitman in 2022. Reitman’s influence had shaped the original film, and both Schwarzenegger and DeVito felt it would not be the same without him.
Despite the canceled sequel, both actors remain open to working together again. They’ve stated in interviews that they continue to search for a new project that suits their shared comedic sensibilities.
The legacy of Twins lives on not just because of its popularity, but because of what it represented, which was a turning point in Schwarzenegger’s career and a rare example of actors turning down immediate paychecks to take a larger share of long-term rewards. That business decision continues to be one of the most popular deals in film history.