Arnold Schwarzenegger fought with James Cameron over one line in The Terminator

It's safe to say Cameron wasn't happy about his writing being questioned.
Text: Alex Hopley
Published 2023-06-08

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have some of the most iconic one-liners in film history, but arguably his most famous line, "I'll be back," from The Terminator, may not have existed at all, if Arnie had his say, that is.

According to the new Netflix docuseries, "Arnold," (thanks, Insider), Schwarzenegger questioned the legitimacy of the line, as he believed he should say "I will be back." To the actor, that sounded more robotic, and considering he was playing a robot in the movie, we can see the argument.

However, James Cameron wasn't happy about his writing being questioned. Schwarzenegger remembered the following interaction, speaking about it in the documentary:

"'And [Cameron] says, 'Are you the writer?' And I said, 'No,' and he said, 'Well, don't tell me how to fucking write.'"

Schwarzenegger did confirm that the line he eventually said was much better, and we have to agree. What do you think? Should Schwarzenegger have changed his line?

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