End of Days for Star's Mega-Million salaries?
Arnold in the studio after Governorship?

Reported By: AB King
Tuesday, September 12, 2006

With the announcement that Tom Cruise's deal with Paramount Pictures was axed due to his ever large profit precipitation which brings the Top Gun mega star more money than a 20 million fee, what will happen when Schwarzenegger decides to come back to Hollywood?

We all know Arnold is one of the highest paid movie stars with 20-25 million per picture, but did he forgo all that when he entered politics after the huge success of T3? The monster success of Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines---150 million domestic and 433 million worldwide---could have guaranteed that the Austrian Oak receive 20 million upfront and a slice of the box-office profits for years to come... if he choose the right action projects (i.e. the third Conan film KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON and TRUE LIES 2) but has Hollywood studios had enough?

Seems like they have after the Tom Cruise falling out! Studio mogul Sumner Redstone says he's tired of over paying stars and it's time to say "NO"! Even to the biggest movie star today Tom Cruise. So does Arnie have a place in Hollywood once he's finished playing Governator? The answer is HELL YA!

Arnold still has charisma and audiences will pay to see him in the right film. If he does three small action films a year like Bruce Willis sometimes does, he will tire his audience out and have more flops than hits. But if he has a business plan and does one BIG film a year...or even every two years, he can sustain his bankability and have a long lasting box-office career like one of his idols Clint Eastwood.

Clint makes sure when he comes out with a film, it's great and nothing less. If Arnie follows this plan and strategy, he will still remain a huge bankable mega star. Arnie still owns his long in development action/adventure film CRUSADE and if brought to the right studio and filmmaker (James Cameron and 20th Century Fox comes to mind) it will blow away the Ridley Scott debacle KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (a film based during the Crusades).

Arnold also has Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna knocking on his door to make TERMINATOR 4. That film is a given and Arnie should make a small appearance to please his fan base. There is also the idea of KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON. I know the WB are planning on re-starting the franchise but it seems destined for DOOM without Arnie and Milius's original idea. Waiting for an older Arnie after he's out of office is the best thing to do. Arnold can play King Conan at age 65. It's not a far stretch for a character whom is now an older king.

Unless James Cameron is producing TRUE LIES 2 through his Lightstorm Entertainment, it's unlikely Arnie would make another sequel without Cameron ala T3. But maybe big Jim has a role written in both AVATAR and BATTLE ANGEL ALITA for his governor pal.

Arnie is leading the polls and seems destined for governing duties once again and if he does win, there is still a place in Hollywood for the Oak once he comes back in 2010. Maybe he still won't be able to command 20 million upfront anymore, but owning your films, producing your films (something Arnie does a lot) and collecting the profits in the back-end are the way to go.

Arnie owns CRUSADE, so he can cut cost by getting no upfront fee and bringing in a James Cameron to work with him. T4 might be the last film that producers will be willing to pay Arnie 20 million upfront and a slice of the back-end just to have his name attached so the film will become a worldwide blockbuster like the first three Terminator films. From what I'm hearing, financers will not make T4 without Arnold's name involved!