Walking Dead executive producer, Gale Anne Hurd fondly remembers The Terminator
By Renee Hansen
Long before she became a well-known name within The Walking Dead franchise, producer, and founder of Valhalla Entertainment, Gale Anne Hurd was part of another mega-franchise. In 1984, The Terminator was released as the first film in what would become The Terminator franchise, and Hurd was heavily involved in the first film.
Directed by James Cameron, known for his innovative films such as Titanic, Avatar, and its sequels, Cameron wrote the screenplay for The Terminator with Hurd, who also produced the movie. The film wasn't expected to do well at the box office but would hold the top slot for two weeks, eventually grossing $78.3 million against the modest budget of $6.4 million. The movie secured Cameron's film career and propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger, who stars in the film, to leading man status.
The sci-fi movie follows the Terminator (Schwarzenegger), a cybernetic assassin, as he time travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). She will give birth to a child that will save the human race from Skynet, a hostile AI that is part of the post-apocalyptic future. Kyle Reese, portrayed by Michel Biehn, is a soldier sent from the future to protect Sarah.
In addition to Schwarzenegger, Hamilton, and Biehn, the movie also stars Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Bess Motta, Rick Rossovich, and Earl Boen. Other cast members include Shawn Schepps, Dick Miller, Franco Columbu, Bill Paxton, Brian Thompson, Marianne Muellerleile, Rick Aiello, and Bill Wisher.
The Terminator franchise consists of five films, a TV series, novels, comic books, and video games. You can stream the movie on Max.
There will always be a special place in my heart for #TheTerminator and everyone who trusted in @JimCameron and me, especially our awesome cast and crew. https://t.co/8uY76PEXXy
— Gale Anne Hurd (@GunnerGale) January 20, 2024
The Terminator has a 100% on the Tomatometer with critics consensus stating:
With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.
Watch The Terminator trailer
Gale Anne Hurd is linked to several other notable movies, producing Cameron's Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989) and serving as executive producer for Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
Other movies she is known for include Tremors, The Ghost and the Darkness, Dante's Peak, Armageddon, The Punisher, and Hell Fest.
Hurd has served as an executive producer of The Walking Dead universe since the beginning of the main series in 2010. She has worked on the main series and the first five spinoffs.
She received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012 in a ceremony attended by several Walking Dead actors, including Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Sarah Wayne Callies, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, David Morrissey, IronE Singleton, Scott Wilson, Steven Yeun, Michael Rooker, and Laurie Holden.
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