The day of reckoning finally came for Arnold Schwarzenegger's action film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and the most expensive movie ever made was worth its $90 million-plus price tag.
Over the five-day July Fourth holiday, the sequel to 1984's "Terminator" earned an estimated $52.3 million for first place at the box office and one of the best debuts ever."I haven't had this good a morning in a long time," said Larry Kasanoff, head of Lightstorm Entertainment, producer of "Terminator 2" for Carolco Pictures.
Box office figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. showed that "The Naked Gun 21/2: The Smell of Fear" earned $16.8 million for second place. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was third with $14.7 million and "City Slickers" took fourth with $11.2 million.
The new "Problem Child 2" was fifth with $7.6 million.
Kasanoff said the stakes were so high for "Terminator 2" that a $25 million opening, usually considered superb, would have been disappointing.
"Back to the Future Part II" took in $43 million over the five-day 1989 Thanksgiving holiday. "Batman" collected $42.7 million over a three-day weekend in June 1989, making more per day in its premiere.
In "Terminator 2," Schwarzenegger returns as a robot from the future. But this time he's a good robot trying to save a boy from an evil robot. Linda Hamilton plays the boy's mother.
Studio officials won't confirm the film's cost. Sources say it cost between $90 million and $100 million, making it the most expensive movie ever.
The movie's costs mounted with eye-popping special effects and generous salaries and perks: $15 million for Schwarzenegger, including an $11 million private jet, and a $5 million minimum for writer-producer-director James Cameron.
Movie sequels tend to be relatively safe gambles, although last year "Robocop 2" and "The Godfather, Part III" flopped.
The financially struggling Carolco protected its investment by selling in advance the foreign and domestic rights, as well as the rights for home video, cable television and broadcast television. That nearly equaled the cost of making the film, published reports have said.
Here are the top movie ticket sales according to Exhibitor Relations:
1. "TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY," $52.3 million (first week).
2. "The Naked Gun 21/2: The Smell of Fear," $16.8 million ($43.2 million, two weeks).
3. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," $14.7 million ($97.7 million, four weeks).
4. "City Slickers," $11.2 million ($74.6 million, five weeks).
5. "Problem Child 2," $7.6 million (first week).
6. "Rocketeer," $7.6 million ($31.2 million, three weeks).
7. "Dying Young," $4.5 million ($24.5 million, three weeks).
8. "Backdraft," $3.8 million ($64.5 million, seven weeks).
9. "Soapdish," $3.1 million ($31 million, six weeks).
10. "Thelma and Louise," $2.8 million ($32.5 million, seven weeks).