Why did famous director decline to make ‘Terminator 3’?

Jonathan Mostow served as the director of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but before him, Ridley Scott was supposedly offered to helm.

According to the director’s claim, the studio put a hefty $20 million on the table for him to direct it, which was equivalent to Arnold Schwarzenger’s fees at the time, who was one of the highest-paid actors.

However, the Alien filmmaker, in a recent interview with The Guardian, stated that he declined the offer. 

“I can’t be bought,” he said, admitting to being surprised the studio offered him the fee, which he asked was what the franchise’s lead star was getting. “I thought: ‘**** me.’ But I couldn’t do it. It’s not my thing.”

However, passing down on the offer also had to do with his filming style, which he described by giving an example of a James Bond movie. 

“The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. Terminator is pure comic strip,” he said. “I would try to make it real,” he shared.

“That’s why they’ve never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I would **** it up,” the director said.

Ridley, at the end, confirmed that he is working on a third film in the Gladiator series.