TERMINATOR Star Arnold Schwarzenegger Remembers Clashing With Director James Cameron Over "I'll Be Back" Line

TERMINATOR Star Arnold Schwarzenegger Remembers Clashing With Director James Cameron Over "I'll Be Back" Line

Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed the origin of his famous "I'll be back" line, admitting it led to an on-set clash with filmmaker James Cameron. Why? It was all about "I'll" vs. "I will."

By JoshWilding - May 19, 2023 10:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Terminator
Source: THR (via SFFGazette.com)

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Hollywood icon, but there's one line, in particular, that's followed him throughout his entire career:

"I'll be back."

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com), the actor was asked how he feels about being associated with various catchphrases ("Get to the choppa'!" immediately springs to mind), but specifically, the one he's repeatedly said as part of the Terminator franchise. It's become a staple of his role as the T-800, a character Arnie has sadly confirmed he won't be "back" as. 

"I think about how it was an accident," Schwarzenegger tells the trade. "[Terminator director] Jim Cameron and I were debating how to say the line because I was not comfortable with saying 'I’ll.' I said, 'I think it’s stronger to say, ‘I will be back.' Cameron said, 'Are you the scriptwriter now? It’s just one word. Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act.'"

"I said, 'You tell me how to act every f***ing minute! What are you talking about?!' So he says, 'Arnold, you think it sounds weird. It doesn’t. What makes it great is that you sound different than me or Charlie over there. That’s what makes it work. So just say it 10 times. Say it different ways. I’ll keep rolling the camera. Then we’ll choose one.'

"So they set it up, and I say: '(Flatly) I’ll be back...(cheerful) I’ll be back...(guttural)...I’ll beeee baaaack.' It sounded stupid."

Schwarzenegger went on to confirm that, from when the movie was released right up until now, people come up to him to ask if he'll say the line. If you see him, though, he's fine with it!

"It’s wild. I’m the last one to get complicated and say, 'I don’t want to compare myself to my movies or use a line from my movies,'" he says. "Hell, Clint Eastwood takes the clothes from his movies and that’s all he wears. So why would I be worried about using a line?"

Arnie won't be back as the Terminator, but we're sure he still has more iconic roles - and lines! - left in him. It would be a lot of fun to see his fellow 80s and 90s icon, Sylvester Stallone, into the Marvel and DC Universes, that's for sure. 

What do you think?

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VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 5/19/2023, 10:05 AM
MK1 "Wowed" me with their ability to build hype and stay fresh...




👆🏽 Should've been how the Terminator franchise moved forward.



SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/19/2023, 10:08 AM
@VictorAlonzo -

My brother saw this trailer and sent it to me with the words, the Terminator Future War movie we didn't get
VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 5/19/2023, 11:03 AM
@SimplyAz -
SATW42
SATW42 - 5/19/2023, 10:06 AM
I love this exchange
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/19/2023, 10:11 AM
The most iconic movie line for me personally.

Looking forward to Fubar, especially since I loved Sly's Tulsa King.
Let's hope he says the line in the show


TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 5/19/2023, 10:37 AM
@SimplyAz -

SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/19/2023, 10:52 AM
@TheOtherOn -

Lol
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 5/20/2023, 9:28 AM
@TheOtherOn - lol this is funny
CoHost
CoHost - 5/19/2023, 10:15 AM
Yo, Arnie! Which composer are you dying to play as?
dracula
dracula - 5/19/2023, 10:23 AM
Either let it die or do a full reboot
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/19/2023, 10:34 AM
@dracula -

TV show reboot in a decade or so, hopefully made by a fan of the movies, who understands what they are about

Repian
Repian - 5/19/2023, 3:31 PM
@SimplyAz - Tony Gilroy directing a Show that begins in the future. A show starring the first time traveler. Kyle Reese.

SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/19/2023, 3:45 PM
@Repian -

Oh man, it would be amazing
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 5/20/2023, 9:29 AM
@Repian - ah stop it. enough we another reboot. let the terminator movie die
Goldboink
Goldboink - 5/19/2023, 10:58 AM
So, nobody thinks it's strange that Clint Eastwood only wears clothes that he nicked from movie wardrobes?
VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 5/19/2023, 11:05 AM
@Goldboink -made me go "hmmmmm".
ChimiFnChangas
ChimiFnChangas - 5/19/2023, 11:10 AM
Dude, slow news day? Arnie told this story years ago…
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 5/19/2023, 12:06 PM
@ChimiFnChangas - it came back
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 5/19/2023, 1:51 PM
If I seen a celeb. I wouldn't throw silly movie quotes at them.

It sounds stupid.
dragon316
dragon316 - 5/19/2023, 2:14 PM
Sound a lot like Peter Cullen situation with transformers in reality Peter cullen didn’t say that in animated movie he acted upon it Optimus prime would have killed megatron in animated movie if unicron wasn’t there so what’s worse say line you don’t like or see him act on decision almost kill enemy
BBARBER23
BBARBER23 - 5/19/2023, 3:26 PM
This is old news!!! Good God!!!
LSHF
LSHF - 5/19/2023, 5:56 PM
Yes, slow news day.

Many of the news feeds from Google are old stories. Clickbait rules!
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 5/19/2023, 7:07 PM
There's nothing like reporting on news in 2023.............that was news in 2015

Is this where the site is now...reporting 8-year-old news?

TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 5/19/2023, 10:48 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - Cut Josh some slack, he probably wasn't even born when this news came out first time! 😑
Superhavs
Superhavs - 5/20/2023, 9:37 AM
This story was in his 2012 autobiography... how is this news?
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