Arnold Schwarzenegger, the name synonymous with action cinema, nearly added another blockbuster to his already impressive resume. While we know him from iconic roles in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator, Commando, and True Lies, he almost starred in the 1996 action classic, The Rock.
The Rock: Cage vs. Schwarzenegger?
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery in Michael Bay's The Rock. However, Schwarzenegger revealed that he was initially approached for a leading role. According to Schwarzenegger, producer Don Simpson presented him with an incomplete script covered in notes from Jerry Bruckheimer. The action star, already juggling a busy schedule, decided to pass on the unfinished project.
"[Simpson] has 85 pages with him and there are handwritten notes all over it by Jerry Bruckheimer," Schwarzenegger recalled. "He says, ‘Here, look at this script. But don’t read it! Just, here’s what the premise is...’ He was all over the place. I said, ‘Look, Don. I can’t make a commitment based on what you’re showing me here. You won’t even let me read the script! Why don’t you bake it some more, develop it some more and then we’ll talk again.’ He was very upset."
Red Sonja: Arnie's Forgotten Fantasy Role
Before potentially facing off in Alcatraz, Schwarzenegger starred in another action-oriented film, Red Sonja (1985). While not as fondly remembered as his other hits, Red Sonja offered Schwarzenegger a different kind of role in the sword-and-sorcery genre. He himself has declared it the worst movie he ever made. The film stars Brigitte Nielsen in the title role.
A Female-Led Action Movie of the 80s
Red Sonja, a spin-off from Conan, holds a unique place in film history as one of the rare female-led action movies of the 1980s. While it may not be a critical darling, it's worth noting its contribution to the representation of women in action cinema.