22 years after the sci-fi classic Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines was released, legendary director Ridley Scott reveals more about why he turned down the film. James Cameron is the creator of the Terminator franchise and directed the first two installments, easily the two best Terminator movies and contenders for two of the best action movies of all time.

However, Cameron stepped back for the third installment, which ended up being directed by Jonathan Mostow. But Scott was offered the job first; ironically, Cameron directed the more action-oriented 1986 movie Aliens, a sequel to Scott’s 1979 milestone space horror Alien, so this directing hire would have been a reversal of circumstances.

During a recent interview with The Guardian, Ridley Scott revealed that he turned down $20 million to direct Terminator 3 because it’s simply “not [his] thing.” At first, he decided to see if he could get the same pay as the franchise lead, Arnold Schwarzenegger, not really believing that the studio would agree to it.

When they did, he was forced to turn down the job for purely artistic reasons. Check out Scott’s full comments about this below:

The Guardian: Were you really considering directing Terminator 3?

Ridley Scott: I’m proud about this. I turned down a $20m fee. See, I can’t be bought, dude. Someone said: “Ask what Arnie gets.” I thought: “I’ll try it out.” I said: “I want what Arnie gets.” When they said yes, I thought: “F–k me.” But I couldn’t do it. It’s not my thing. It’s like doing a Bond movie. The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. Terminator is pure comic strip. I would try to make it real. That’s why they’ve never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I could f–k it up.

What Ridley Scott’s Comments Mean For Terminator 3

Many people probably wish Scott had directed Terminator 3 when it is considered to have been a bit of a letdown, amounting to a bland rehash of past storylines, while beginning to break the rules of the franchise in frustrating ways. But Scott is also not infallible as a filmmaker, having produced some not spectacularly received movies.

Scott’s comments reveal a deeper understanding of the Terminator franchise, knowing that it is tonally outside his area of expertise when he makes so many detailed historical epics. However, he might have actually excelled at directing the first Terminator, which does something similar to Alien in translating classic horror tropes into a sci-fi story.

For better and for worse, Scott stayed away from the Terminator franchise, hoping that a better choice than him would direct something worthy of its predecessors. This isn’t what happened, but whatever the Terminator franchise is now as a whole, the various ups and downs in quality are all a part of the experience.

Our Take On Ridley Scott Directing Terminator 3

Considering the $20 million offer and that he would have gotten to do his own take on Cameron’s creation, as Cameron had done with his (with astounding results), it is genuinely surprising that Scott didn’t take on Terminator 3. However, it is impressive that he turned it down because he believed that his tastes would clash with what the franchise was meant to be.

One of the things that can be learned from the Star Wars sequel trilogy is what happens when individual filmmakers hold fast to their own vision rather than building upon the established overall story. In that context, Ridley Scott can be respected for not accepting Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines, even if the movie might have been better under his direction.