Third-highest-grossing film of 1994
True Lies was a massive blockbuster success, raking in over $378 million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 1994, trailing only The Lion King and Forrest Gump. Not bad for a film that saw Jamie Lee Curtis stepping out of her usual roles and Arnold Schwarzenegger delivering some seriously iconic lines!
Interestingly, it was during the production of True Lies in 1993 that James Cameron met his future Titanic and Avatar co-producer Jon Landau. In July 2024, Cameron shared that Landau, who was the studio ”suit” overseeing True Lies, played a key role in making the film even better through some crucial rewrites.
True Lies certainly sparked a lot of debate over the years—whether it’s about its portrayal of gender roles, the balance between comedy and action, or the intense stunts that are hard to forget. Some argue that the striptease scene was empowering, showing Helen’s willingness to take control of a dangerous situation, while others believe it played into a tired trope of women being objectified for the sake of humor.
And of course, there’s the action! Was it a bit too far-fetched or was it one of the most thrilling action-comedies of the ’90s? Was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of a loving yet secretive spy relatable, or did it lean too much into the typical action hero persona?
Do you think True Lies holds up today, or has the world changed enough where its themes could be seen differently? Would love to hear what everyone thinks!