Schwarzenegger, Clark visit Korea for Terminator movie promotion

Schwarzenegger, Clark visit Korea for Terminator movie promotion. July. 03, 2015 07:26. iamsam@donga.com.

“I’ve been to Korea on a personal vacation, for a movie promotion and also when I was the California governor. It is pleasure to come back to Korea,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger who has returned to his iconic killing machine role in the new installment of Terminator series.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emilia Clarke visited Seoul to promote the summer blockbuster ‘Terminator Genisys,’ which opened in local theaters on Thursday. The 68-year-old actor and bodybuilder plays the main character Terminator T-800 and the actress becomes the new face of Sarah Corner, a legendary role in the movie. Schwarzenegger’s last visit to Korea was two years ago in 2013 during promotion for Korean director Kim Ji-woon’s Hollywood debut movie ‘Last Stand.’

The fifth installment of the Terminator series, of which the first movie opened in 1984, tells a new story by going back to the time when the first Terminator story began. “When I was asked if I was interested in doing another ‘Terminator,’ I made it very clear to them that it is very important that they have a great script and a great story,” said Schwarzenegger at a press conference held in Seoul. He added this movie is built on the great suspense, the surprises, the emotional rollercoaster ride and the great action.

After turning into a politician as California’s governor between 2003 and 2011, Schwarzenegger has returned to his acting career appearing in ‘Last Stand,’ ‘Escape Plan’ and ‘Sabotage.’

In the new movie, he appears as an old T-800, different from the original setting in the first movie released in 1984. The old robot is a guardian to take care of Sarah, who lost her parents at her young age, and prepares her against the future man-robot battle. “I woke up at 4:30 in the morning today and worked out for an hour. I gained 4 kg to make the body that I had in the first movie. I had to exercise twice as much as before but it was not a big deal as I have played in action movies for 40 years,” said Schwarzenegger.

About Korean actor Lee Byung-hun who plays a villain robot T-1000 in the movie, Clarke said, “He was incredible to watch at the scene. There weren’t very many special effects for the movements that he naturally had.” She added that she hoped Lee to join, if a sequel is coming. Schwarzenegger and Clarke appear in the red carpet event and movie premiere on the same day at the Lotte World Tower in Seoul and departs to Japan on Friday.

“Terminator T-800 says ‘I’m old but not obsolete’ in this movie. I think that this statement is for everybody. I hope to come back to Korea. I’ll be back,” said Schwarzenegger when he leaves the press conference.