A movie was so expensive that it was in production for 20 years, but it is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a guarantee for successful movies in his prime. He also cared a lot about films. One of his most popular science fiction films might not have existed after 20 years without him.

Which film is it? Total Recall is among Schwarzenegger’s most popular films. Our readers agree, having voted it into the top 5 of his best films. Total Recall is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, who also inspired Blade Runner.

In Total Recall, Douglas Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has memories implanted. However, this process goes wrong, and Quaid must question what real memories are and which parts of his life are lies.

You can find a trailer for the film here:

Sci-Fi is expensive and often a risk

Many projects in Hollywood take longer to develop than one might think. It can take years to decades before the first trailer comes out, or projects get shelved. The first thought of making Total Recall began in the 1970s. The screenplay was done, and they were looking for production companies to bring the project to life.

However, they were relatively hesitant, as sci-fi films have always been expensive. To create such worlds, you need a vision and then the appropriate budget. Six years before Total Recall’s release, Dune was released in 1984, which, with a budget of 40 million dollars, only made about 31 million dollars. That is a total flop. (via. Box Office Mojo)

Studios naturally want to avoid risks because of such flops. This is where Arnold Schwarzenegger comes into play, who was the mega star of the 80s and 90s. He teamed up with director Paul Verhoeven, who also created two more classics of the sci-fi genre with RoboCop and Starship Troopers.

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According to Box Office Mojo, the film cost 65 million dollars, which was a relatively high budget for the 90s. Fortunately, Total Recall was a success, grossing 261 million dollars worldwide. The budget was likely higher due to the production time. At that time, Schwarzenegger was simply a hit guarantee, who even starred in an even more expensive film four years later: The first film to reportedly cost over 100 million dollars is turning 30 and is an iconic action comedy