Buzz
Last Action Hero turned into a quirky misfire. Originally conceived as a tribute to the over-the-top nature of '80s action flicks under the title Extremely Violent, it evolved into a surreal live-action cartoon. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a larger-than-life action hero who discovers his fictional existence and ends up saving the real world. The plot features magical golden tickets enabling travel between realities, deliberate mistakes to highlight its cinematic nature, and an animated feline detective voiced by Danny DeVito. Over time, the film shifted from a heartfelt homage to a parody wrapped in admiration.
Despite being a box office failure, the movie has gained a cult following for its boldness, showcasing both its entertaining possibilities and bewildering absurdities. Below are 10 fascinating tidbits about this wildly ambitious yet flawed action flick.
1. THE PRODUCTION ITSELF GOT META EARLY ON.
The original screenwriters, Zak Penn and Adam Leff, envisioned Last Action Hero as a thrilling action-packed adventure that also poked fun at the genre. However, their creative vision was soon influenced by the very sources they drew from. The character Jack Slater was initially named Arno Slater as a tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who eventually took on the role. Penn and Leff meticulously analyzed Shane Black’s scripts, such as the Lethal Weapon series and The Last Boy Scout, to perfect the satirical tone. Ironically, Black was later hired to rewrite their script. They also modeled the film’s style after Die Hard and other works by John McTiernan, who was subsequently brought on to direct. Their humorous homage was ultimately shaped by the giants of the genre they aimed to parody, who were tasked with mocking their own craft.
2. IT WAS INSPIRED BY THE SIMPSONS.
Penn and Leff’s inspiration for the project came from an unexpected source: Matt Groening’s iconic animated series. “The strange part is that The Simpsons was the initial spark,” Penn explained. “We thought, ‘if this show can deconstruct genres while celebrating them, why can’t we do the same in live action?’” By the time Last Action Hero premiered, The Simpsons had already lampooned Schwarzenegger and his action films through the character of Rainier Wolfcastle, the star of countless McBain movies. The show that inspired Penn and Leff even took a jab at Last Action Hero in an episode titled “The Boy Who Knew Too Much,” where Bart tells Wolfcastle his latest film was terrible, Wolfcastle blames script issues, and Chief Wiggum sarcastically remarks, “I’ll say. Magic ticket my ass, McBain!”
3. CARRIE FISHER, WILLIAM GOLDMAN, AND LARRY FERGUSON ALL DID REWRITES.
After Penn and Leff, Shane Black and David Arnott took over the script, only to be replaced by acclaimed novelist and Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Goldman was paid a staggering $1 million, which, according to Black, was meant to reassure producers that they had done everything possible to salvage the project. Despite this, the film still faced criticism, and additional writers, including Carrie Fisher and Larry Ferguson, who had just worked on The Hunt For Red October, were brought in to refine the dialogue. The studio even attempted to rehire Black to enhance the action scenes, but he declined. “Throwing money at this massive project just made people feel better,” Black remarked. The sheer number of contributors ultimately led to the film’s disjointed narrative.
4. THE SCHEDULE DOOMED THE MOVIE FROM THE OUTSET.
Even without the script issues (which are typical for major films), the movie was destined to struggle due to an impossibly tight timeline. From the moment Columbia Pictures approved the project to its scheduled release on June 18, 1993, McTiernan and his team had just over nine months to complete a high-budget blockbuster filled with explosions and extensive visual effects.
Robert Greenberg, the CGI specialist brought on board, remarked, “I’ve never seen a production of this scale assembled in such a short time,” a sentiment McTiernan and others later echoed when explaining the film’s shortcomings.
As the team raced toward the unchangeable release date (despite a poorly received test screening the studio called “absolutely sensational”), the crew endured grueling 18-hour shifts, six days a week. Conditions were so harsh that a masseuse was brought in to help. The final edit was completed just days before the film had to be distributed to theaters. Compounding the issue, Last Action Hero debuted just one week after Jurassic Park, which didn’t help its chances.
5. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER GOT AC/DC TO WRITE A SONG FOR IT.
Last Action Hero marked Schwarzenegger’s debut as an executive producer, granting him control over every aspect, including marketing. Recognizing the need for a powerful theme song for Jack Slater, Schwarzenegger approached AC/DC directly. Rather than licensing an existing track, he requested an original composition, resulting in the creation of “Big Gun.” This high-energy rock song became the film’s most iconic feature. Despite the numerous missteps in tone, scheduling, and release timing, Schwarzenegger’s choice of music was a rare triumph.
6. THEY HIRED A CHEAPER VERSION OF ALAN RICKMAN.
Columbia PicturesJust as Schwarzenegger embodied the archetypal action hero, the character Benedict was modeled after Alan Rickman’s iconic Hans Gruber from McTiernan’s Die Hard. In a meta moment, the young protagonist (played by Austin O’Brien) even refers to Benedict as Rickman, breaking the fourth wall. The production initially sought Rickman for the role, but he declined. Charles Dance was cast instead, and upon learning he was a more budget-friendly alternative, Dance humorously arrived on set wearing a shirt that read, “I’m cheaper than Alan Rickman!”—a nod to the film’s self-aware tone.
7. THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF CAMEOS IN IT.
Schwarzenegger leveraged his Hollywood connections to secure numerous cameos from co-stars and acquaintances. Sharon Stone reprises her Basic Instinct role, while Robert Patrick appears as the T-1000 from Terminator 2 in a brief background scene. Schwarzenegger’s then-wife, Maria Shriver, makes an appearance as herself, Danny DeVito lends his voice to the animated police cat, and Joan Plowright portrays a teacher showcasing her late husband Laurence Olivier’s performance in Hamlet (“You might recall him as Zeus in Clash of the Titans”). Additionally, Leeza Gibbons appears as herself conducting interviews, Tina Turner plays the mayor of Los Angeles, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jim Belushi, and Chevy Chase are seen attending the premiere of Jack Slater IV. Tony Danza, MC Hammer, Little Richard, and James Cameron also make appearances. Among the most memorable cameos is Ian McKellen as Death, stepping out of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal.
8. THERE IS ALSO AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF REFERENCES TO OTHER MOVIES.
While spoofs are expected to include references, Last Action Hero overwhelms with them. IMDB catalogs 68 references, averaging one every two minutes. These nods span from King Kong and The Wizard of Oz to Serpico and E.T., though most pay tribute to films by Schwarzenegger, Shane Black, and John McTiernan. Highlights include references to Commando, The Running Man, Die Hard, Total Recall, Raw Deal, and a fictional ad for Terminator 2 (featuring Sylvester Stallone instead of Schwarzenegger). One of the most poignant homages occurs after Frank’s (Art Carney) house explodes, when a black cop sighs, “Two days to retirement,” echoing Danny Glover’s line in Lethal Weapon.
9. IT WAS BOTH ART CARNEY'S AND TORU TANAKA’S FINAL FILM.
Carney began his career in radio during the late 1930s before gaining fame on The Honeymooners and winning an Oscar for Harry and Tonto in 1974. In Last Action Hero, he portrays Jack Slater’s favorite second cousin, whose death Slater seeks to avenge in Jack Slater IV, having already avenged closer relatives in earlier films. This marked Carney’s final film role, with his last line being, “I’m outta here.”
Toru Tanaka, also known as Professor Tanaka in professional wrestling, made his final credited appearance in Last Action Hero. Known for playing bodyguards and warriors in action films, his role as “Tough Asian Man” in the movie could also be seen as a nod to The Running Man, where (spoiler!) Schwarzenegger’s character battles and defeats him.
10. IT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE TO BE ADVERTISED ON A NASA ROCKET.
The marketing campaign for Last Action Hero was nothing short of extravagant. Among the highlights was a massive four-story inflatable of Jack Slater/Schwarzenegger displayed at the Cannes Film Festival and Times Square. However, the most audacious move was emblazoning the film’s logo on a NASA rocket. This pioneering space advertisement reportedly cost $500,000 but faced setbacks. The COMET rocket, intended to launch in May to promote the June release, was delayed due to technical issues and only took off after the movie had already failed at the box office.
