Terminator producer Gale Anne Hurd explains why a key deleted scene showing the return of the T-800’s arm and chip was cut from the film. Released in 1984, James Cameron’s sci-fi action classic introduced the iconic cyborg assassin Arnold Schwarzenegger from the future. With the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991, Cameron’s creation officially became a franchise, but as hardcore fans understand, the series was actually perfectly crafted from a scene deleted from the original film. In the final moment, scientists from Cyberdyne Systems restore parts of the destroyed T-800, setting off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to a future war between humanity and the machines.
Nearly forty years after the release of the first Terminator, producer Heard explained why the decision was made to cut the scene that would have perfectly capped an already near-perfect film. As Heard tweeted, the scene was removed due to questionable performances by actors who weren’t actually professional actors, but financiers that she and Cameron were unfortunately forced to bring into the film. Watch what Heard had to say below (along with the deleted scene via Flashback FM):
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#TheTerminator financier John Daly’s #HemdaleFilms had an output deal with #OrionPictures but hadn’t yet made a hit (that changed with our film and #Platoon). They insisted we use financier friends not actors in this scene, which ruined it for us. … They were paid as actors, via the #TaftHartley act. I think he insisted they be in the film because the financiers were promised a return on their investment and had yet to receive one. Daly never believed the film would be a success. … The film cost $6.4 million…which seemed like an awful lot to us at the time!
The classic set-up of the original Terminator of course sees Schwarzenegger’s T-800 being sent back in time to murder Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the Connor. The plan fails however, because Connor ultimately defeats the Terminator, after being assisted by the future soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who turns out to be the father of Sarah’s son.
But as the deleted scene above shows, the plan to send the T-800 back in time actually does succeed, by leading to Cyberdyne discovering the very technology that will allow them to invent the machines in the first place.
The deletion of this perfect time loop moment doesn’t ultimately hurt The Terminator as a film, as its conclusion is still satisfying, but it’s nevertheless disappointing that the film did not feature this perfect sci-fi twist that hints at events to come. Had Hurt and Cameron been allowed to hire real actors to perform the scene, their almost-flawless movie might have achieved true perfection.