Think about Arnie and the films that spring to mind are probably the big action blockbusters such as Predator, Terminator, and Commando. Yet, Arnie made more money from Twins than he did from any other film.
Grossing $216 million worldwide, Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, and Director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) all agreed to be paid out of the profits. That decision made Arnie a whopping $35,000,000.
Oddly, the studio had given DeVito and Schwarzenegger the option of making either Twins or Suburban Commando (1991). Had they two chosen Suburban Commando, then Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd would have done Twins. That decision turned out to be good news not just for those sharing the profits but for film-goers too.
Arnie has a long history of being funny—often injecting self-deprecating humor in the most serious of roles—but Twins was Arnie’s first proper foray in to comedy. Under the deft direction of Reitman, he handles the role with surprising skill and understated charm. DeVito is, of course, a master comic and, the simple premise—of an ambitious genetic experiment gone wrong—bobs along with plenty of good vibes and laughs in all the right places.
Twins isn’t Ghostbusters—but then what is? However it is a film that easily wins you over. It’s silly, it’s funny and it has tons of heart.