‘Eraser’ Director Chuck Russell Dishes on Arnold’s Star Power & the Film’s Updated New Look

In the blockbuster, Arnold plays a special agent named Eraser. His job? Erase the identities of whistleblowers.

“Extra” caught up with Chuck Russell, the director behind “Eraser” and other favorites like “The Mask” to find out what it was like to work with Arnold and seeing the film in 4K UHD.

Russell said of Schwarzenegger, “Arnold is always a blast and there’s a reason he's a star. One of the great, amazing leading men and the biggest vibe in any room. Even when I saw him afterwards, he invited me to one of his soirees as governor and said, ‘Get me out of here, Chuck. Let's make another movie.’” 

Of the updates to the film, he said, “It has a wonderful new look. The parachute sequence looks even better than ever. You really do see how much of the physical effects were high risk but carefully designed."

Russell shared, “I hadn't seen the film in years. Very pleasantly surprised at how well it holds up.”

Looking back, he said, “One of the reasons people like ’90s films, we’re there to entertain. You know you're in for a good ride. When Vanessa’s trapped in an alligator house, I want you to think, ‘What would I do? How would I get out of it?’”