Why does Arnold Schwarzenegger pay Warner Bros. $1 every year?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an action legend that made Hollywood studios a fortune. Yet, he still has a lifelong debt with Warner Bros., which instructs him to pay $1 annually to the giant production house.

Yep, you read that right.

Schwarzenegger’s deal with Warner Bros. stems from his role as the villainous Mr. Freeze in the 1997 superhero film Batman & Robin. While the movie, directed by Joel Schumacher, was not critically acclaimed, it has since gained a cult following for its campy approach to the Batman franchise. 

The film starred George Clooney as Batman, with Schwarzenegger playing the cold-hearted antagonist alongside Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. Despite the mixed reception of Batman & Robin, Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of Mr. Freeze left a lasting impression, not least because of the character’s memorable costume. The metallic suit, complete with a glass dome helmet and glowing blue accents, became an iconic piece of superhero movie history. This very costume lies at the heart of Schwarzenegger’s unusual arrangement with Warner Bros.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is still paying for his Batman & Robin’s Mr. Freeze costume

After the filming of Batman & Robin wrapped, Schwarzenegger expressed a desire to keep his Mr. Freeze costume. However, movie props and costumes are typically the property of the production studio, in this case, Warner Bros. Instead of outright selling or gifting the costume to the actor, the studio came up with a unique solution. 

According to Peter Macgregor-Scott (via The Hollywood Reporter), the producer of Batman & Robin, Schwarzenegger had to sign a contract with Warner Bros. to “borrow” the Mr. Freeze costume indefinitely. The terms of this agreement require the actor to pay the studio $1 per year for the privilege of keeping the costume in his possession. This arrangement has been ongoing since the late 1990s, meaning Schwarzenegger has been faithfully paying his dollar each year for over two decades.

The Mr. Freeze costume isn’t the only piece of movie memorabilia in Schwarzenegger’s collection. The actor is known to have kept props from many of his iconic films, including the sword from Conan the Barbarian and various weapons from the Terminator franchise. However, the annual payment for the Mr. Freeze costume makes it a unique item in his collection.

Honestly, Schwarzenegger should be particularly proud of his take on Mr. Freeze. Batman & Robin might be a mess, but it’s a fun mess, which is more than can be said from other Batman movies – Batman Forever, I’m looking at you. That’s due in grand part to Schwarzenegger taking inspiration from George Sanders to channel a chaotic and hilarious supervillain. Considering the lasting legacy of his Mr. Freeze performance, paying $1 yearly to keep wearing the super suit is a steal.