Arnold Schwarzenegger has paid a studio for 29 years to keep a film keepsake

Arnold Schwarzenegger knows the value of a memento. The actor and politician has been paying Warner Bros studios every day to house a memento from one of his most iconic yet critically reviled films.

The news went viral recently, prompting a rediscovery of an interview published in The Hollywood Reporter that explored the story of “Batman & Robin,” the film that starred George Clooney. The project has been critically reviled yet features some of the most iconic actors ever, including Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Schwarzenegger himself, playing the role of the villain Mr. Freeze.

The story explained that Schwarzenegger wanted to keep his Mr. Freeze costume, with the studio denying his request. Still, Schwarzenegger persisted, wanting the costume so much that he spoke to various departments and figured out a way to let them rent it.

“It went all the way up to the top of the studio. He had to sign a contract, and I think he pays $1 per year to borrow the costume,” said producer Peter McGregor Scott.

“The lights in those costumes last 9,000 hours. He doesn’t have them on all day long, but he does turn them on quite frequently.”

While Schwarzenegger clearly loved his Mr. Freeze costume, most of the movie’s stars aren’t proud of their work in “Batman & Robin.” In an interview with The Guardian, Clooney was asked if he would avoid doing anything in his life. His answer was clear. “Now, the obvious answer to your question would be to joke, Batman & Robin,” he said. “And I wouldn’t do it at all.”

He did say that despite all the criticism he’s received since making it, “Batman & Robin” did teach him an important lesson in his career. “I learned that if you’re gonna be held responsible for a film, instead of just being an actor in that film, you’d better pick better films.”