Released in the summer of 2009, only a year after the culture-altering success ofThe Dark Knight,Terminator Salvationmade headlines for beingone of the most expensive independent productions of all time. The sequel film starredChristian Balein the role of John Connor, and boldly became the franchise’s first installment not to featureArnold Schwarzeneggerin the titular role. Directed byMcG,Terminator Salvationunderperformed at the box office, shutting down all possibility of a sequel. Itmade just over $370 million at the worldwide box office, and has now been overtaken by another big-budget underperformer, Marvel’sThunderbolts*.
Produced ona reported budget of $180 million,Thunderboltsis just about to conclude its theatrical run. The superhero movie had a promising debut some weeks ago, but will likely fall short of the $200 million mark domestically and the $400 million mark worldwide.Thunderboltsis also poised to fall short of its MCU predecessor,Captain America: Brave New World, and was only just able to surpassBlack Widowat the worldwide box office. The thing to remember is thatBlack Widowwas released during the peak of the pandemic, with a day-and-date Disney+ debut eating into its box office prospects. And yet, it continues to leadThunderbolts*domestically.
Directed byJake Schreier, the movie debuted to excellent reviews, and is currently sitting at a “certified fresh” 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is way higher than the score earned byTerminator Salvationin 2009. Also featuring pre-AvatarSam Worthington, the film is sitting at a 33%Rotten Tomatoes score, with the aggregator’s consensus reading, “With storytelling as robotic as the film’s iconic villains,Terminator Salvationoffers plenty of great effects but lacks the heart of the original films.” Produced ona reported budget of $200 million, themovie was retrospectivelytrashed by Schwarzenegger, who had to turn it down because of his political obligations at the time. As he toldGood Morning America, “Thank God. It sucked.”
The Terminator Franchise Has Been Struggling for Over Two Decades
Terminator Salvationalso made headlines foran on-set rantthat Bale went on against the cinematographerShane Hurlbut. Because of the movie’s underperformance, the Terminator franchise was rebooted withTerminator Genisys, which brought Schwarzenegger back alongsideEmilia Clarke. The movie made around $440 million worldwide against a $155 million reported budget. But poor reviews resulted in this iteration of the franchise being abandoned as well. A third reboot, directed byTim Miller, was released in 2019. Also featuring Schwarzenegger,Terminator: Dark Fateearned mostly positive reviews, but was an outright bomb, grossing $261 million worldwide against a reported budget of nearly $200 million. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts follows a group of unconventional superheroes who emerge in a world without the Avengers. As this new team bands together, they navigate complex missions and moral dilemmas, seeking to establish themselves as protectors while uncovering hidden threats that could jeopardize global safety and stability.
