Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito gained popularity in the late 80s to the early 90s for their family films. But did you know which film earned them the most?
Instead of getting a regular salary for the movie “Twins”, Schwarzenegger and DeVito made a deal with the studio. They agreed to take 20% of the film’s box office returns. Surprisingly, the movie made $216 million. Earning them a huge paycheck.
What Was The Film About?
Twins is a 1988 comedy directed and produced by Ivan Reitman. The story revolved around an unlikely pair of twins that were separated from birth. DeVito played Vincent who was a streetwise hustler, while Schwarzenegger played Julius who was highly intelligent but naive. (Source: IMDB)
Behind the Scenes
The Twins film was Schwarzenegger’s first major comedy. Before taking this role, he acted in action movies and was doing quite well. The studio felt investing in him was a significant risk. Schwarzenegger decided to make a deal with the studio. He won’t take a salary, instead, he would just share in the profits of the film. Danny DeVito took the same deal.
What they did not expect was the film to be a huge success. The studio spent a total of $18 million in production and earned $216 million in total. In an interview with Graham Besinger, Schwarzenegger said that investing in himself was one of the best decisions he has made in his entire life. The move to start comedy paved the way to a whole new genre for him. (Source: IMDB)
Did They Try For A Sequel?
Since the film was a huge success, talks of a sequel were not far along. In fact, Schwarzenegger was very interested in doing the sequel. Danny DeVito pitched script ideals for the film Triplets in 2003. The film was supposed to include a long-lost third brother that Eddie Murphy would play.
Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger was too busy running for governor. DeVito agreed with the decision to run but had doubts that he would win. By 2012, Schwarzenegger ended his second term, and the plans for the sequel were back on. Production officially confirmed in 2019. As of April 2019, DeVito announced that the final script was still incomplete, and the film was still in its pre-production phase.
Due to production delays and other complications, there are rumors that a remake with Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage would be done instead. (Source: IMDB)
How Did the Audience Appreciate the Film?
The movie got mixed reviews from critics. Some enjoyed the film for what it is, while others took a more critical approach.
Though it offers a few modest pleasures for undemanding viewers, Twins leans too heavily on the wackiness of its premise to overcome its narrative shortcomings.
Roger Ebert, an American film critic, gave the film a 3 out of 4 rating.
Engaging entertainment with some big laughs and a sort of warm goofiness.
Roger Ebert
(Source: Roger Ebert)
Vincent Canby, the film and theater critic of the New York Times, did not share Ebert’s sentiments. He gave the film a negative review.
In Twins, which is supposed to be funny, the former Mr. Universe and pint-sized Danny DeVito play twins, the result of a genetic experiment that went awry. To the extent that Twins is carried by anybody, it is carried by Mr. DeVito. Mr. Schwarzenegger is dead weight.
Vincent Canby
(Source: New York Times)