Arnold Schwarzeneggerhas blown up robots, crushed skulls in the jungle, and fought off apocalyptic future threats. But none of those action-packed roles netted him a bigger payday thanTwins— the 1988 buddy comedy with a42% Rotten Tomatoes scorethat became, surprisingly, the most financially rewarding film of his legendary career. In a recent appearance onWatch What Happens LivewithAndy Cohen, theTerminatoricon shocked viewers by revealing thatTwinsearned him “more than $40 million” thanks to one very unconventional deal made with co-starDanny DeVitoand directorIvan Reitman.
“We got no money for the salary but ownership with a piece of the back end. It was fantastic. We went all the way to the bank with that.”
When Cohen pressed for a number, asking if it was more than $20 million, Schwarzenegger laughed and replied, “Oh, yeah. Much more.” Was it over $40 million? “It was more than that,” he confirmed. “It was more than any movie I ever made.”
Directed byGhostbusterslegend Reitman,Twinsfollows Julius (Schwarzenegger) and Vincent (DeVito), a pair of genetically engineered brothers separated at birth who reunite in adulthood. With Julius as the perfect specimen andVincent as, well, Danny DeVito, the film thrived on their absurd physical contrast and unlikely bond. Despite lukewarm critical reception, audiences loved it — and it helped launch Schwarzenegger into a new phase of his career as a viable comedy lead.
How Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Make So Much Money For ‘Twins’?
Back in 1988, casting Schwarzenegger — then known forThe Terminator,Predator, andConan the Barbarian— in a lighthearted comedywas seen as absurd. Even Schwarzenegger admitted producers thought he was too lethal for laughs.
“They said, ‘Are you crazy? The more people that this guy kills on-screen, the more money we make,’” he recalled in a recent Actors on Actors interview with his son,Patrick Schwarzenegger, for Variety.
But with no studio backing, Schwarzenegger pitched a workaround: cut their salaries and take a share of the profits.Twinswas made for a modest$16.5 million, and the gamble paid off. The film grossed over$216 millionat the global box office and performed just as well on home video. Schwarzenegger, DeVito, and Reitman split a reported40% of the film’s back-end profits. It pays to have faith in yourselves, sometimes.
Twinsis currently streaming onPrime Video, and Schwarzenegger is back in action in Season 2 ofFUBAR, now onNetflix.
