
It tracks the last Sarah Connor, its actual target, to a nightclub, but Reese rescues her. The Terminator systematically kills women bearing its target's name, having found their addresses in a telephone directory.

The other is a human soldier named Kyle Reese, intent on stopping it. One is a cybernetic assassin known as a Terminator, programmed to hunt and kill a woman named Sarah Connor. Two men arrive separately in 1984 Los Angeles, having time traveled from 2029. In 2008, The Terminator was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The film's success led to a franchise consisting of several sequels, a television series, comic books, novels and video games. It is credited with launching Cameron's film career and solidifying Schwarzenegger's status as a leading man. The film's special effects, which included miniatures and stop-motion animation, were created by a team of artists led by Stan Winston and Gene Warren Jr.ĭefying low pre-release expectations, The Terminator topped the United States box office for two weeks, eventually grossing $78.3 million against a modest $6.4 million budget. Filming, which took place mostly at night on location in Los Angeles, was delayed because of Schwarzenegger's commitments to Conan the Destroyer (1984), during which Cameron found time to work on the scripts for Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Aliens (1986). Originally approached by Orion for the role of Reese, Schwarzenegger agreed to play the title character after befriending Cameron.

He sold the rights to the project to fellow New World Pictures alumna Hurd on the condition that she would produce the film only if he were to direct it Hurd eventually secured a distribution deal with Orion Pictures, while executive producers John Daly and Derek Gibson of Hemdale Film Corporation were instrumental in setting up the film's financing and production. received an "additional dialogue" credit.Ĭameron devised the premise of the film from a fever dream he experienced during the release of his first film, Piranha II: The Spawning (1982), in Rome, and developed the concept in collaboration with Wisher. The screenplay is credited to Cameron and producer Gale Anne Hurd, while co-writer William Wisher Jr. Kyle Reese ( Michael Biehn) is a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor ( Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will one day save mankind from extinction by Skynet, a hostile artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic future.

The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron.
