Description
Collector's Note – Why This Issue Matters
This 1991 illustrated screenplay book documents "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in a format that went well beyond a conventional movie tie-in publication, offering a genuinely substantial behind-the-scenes record of one of the most significant action films of its era. Published by Applause Books as an original title, the book runs 318 pages and includes over 700 photographs and storyboards, along with a selection of omitted sequences and the complete production credits. The book features more than 90 detailed annotations chronicling the production, alongside storyboards mapping out the film's visual strategy, making it a genuinely comprehensive document of the filmmaking process rather than a simple reproduction of the finished film's dialogue. Collectors building an archive of magazines from 1991 will find this item a substantial piece of film history publishing, arriving the same year the film itself became one of the defining blockbusters of the early 1990s.
What makes this particular illustrated screenplay especially valuable to collectors and film historians is that it preserves an earlier version of the script that differs meaningfully from what ultimately appeared on screen. The screenplay included in the book is not the final shooting version, meaning it contains several differences from the scenes that were actually filmed, including sketches and diagrams for alternative scenes, an entirely alternative ending, and extended sequences such as a full future war scene, a Sarah Connor missile launch dream sequence, and an extended scene depicting Reese and the Terminator traveling through the Skynet-built time machine. The storyboards reproduced in the book were the work of Philip Norwood, Steve Burg, and visual effects supervisor John Bruno, who developed the visual effects sequences alongside director James Cameron, giving the book genuine documentary value for understanding how the film's most ambitious sequences were conceived before being executed on screen. For collectors researching the history of illustrated screenplay publishing as a format, this book represents one of the more substantial and well-regarded examples of the genre from the early 1990s, distinguished by the sheer scope of unused and alternate material it preserves.
The film this book documents arrived as a genuine cultural and technical landmark in its own right, which helps explain why a publication of this depth and ambition was commissioned to accompany it. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong, and it became renowned for pushing visual effects technology forward through its depiction of the liquid-metal T-1000 antagonist. James Cameron would go on to found his own production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, in 1990, and a dedicated computer effects company, Digital Domain, in 1993, reflecting the same drive toward technical innovation that "Terminator 2" itself exemplified. A book of this scope and detail, with its hundreds of photographs and extensive behind-the-scenes annotation, captures the production ambitions of a film that was, even at the time of its release, understood to represent a significant technical achievement within the action and science fiction genres.
About the Publication
This item belongs to the illustrated screenplay format, a category of film tie-in publishing that combines a movie's actual script with substantial photographic and behind-the-scenes documentation, distinguishing it from simpler novelizations or basic photo-based movie tie-in books. Published by Applause Books, part of Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, this title was part of the publisher's broader Applause Screenplay Series, a line dedicated to producing detailed, well-illustrated screenplay editions for significant films. The format's appeal to film enthusiasts lies precisely in its ability to document differences between a film's screenplay and its final cut, along with behind-the-scenes material like storyboards and unused concept art that would otherwise be difficult for general audiences to access. By documenting "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" at this level of detail, Applause Books positioned this title as a serious work of film production history rather than simple promotional merchandise tied to the movie's theatrical release.
Key Highlights Inside
- The complete screenplay for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," credited to James Cameron and William Wisher Jr., presented in an earlier draft form that differs meaningfully from the film's final shooting script and theatrical cut.
- Over 700 photographs and storyboards spanning the entire 318-page book, including a 16-page color section and stills depicting footage that was shot but never included in the finished film.
- More than 90 detailed annotations chronicling the production process, offering context for why specific scenes, dialogue, or visual sequences were changed, removed, or altered between the screenplay stage and the final cut.
- An alternative ending and several extended or omitted sequences, including a full future war scene, a Sarah Connor missile launch dream sequence, and an extended time machine sequence, none of which appeared in the theatrical release.
- Storyboards by artists Philip Norwood and Steve Burg, working alongside visual effects supervisor John Bruno, documenting the visual planning behind some of the film's most technically ambitious sequences.
Condition & Rarity
Surviving copies of this illustrated screenplay book are evaluated using standard criteria for large-format film tie-in publications: completeness of pages, condition of the cover and binding, and overall legibility of the extensive photographic content throughout. This item is described as being in good condition with minor wear, consistent with a softcover film publication of this scope that has survived more than three decades since its original 1991 printing. Because the book's large format and substantial 318-page length made it a genuinely sizable physical object, collectors should pay particular attention to binding integrity and spine condition, since heavily illustrated paperbacks of this kind are often more susceptible to wear along the spine than standard-format books of comparable age.
A protective plastic covering, as included with this item, provides an effective ongoing barrier against further handling wear and environmental exposure, helping preserve a book already noted to be in good condition. Illustrated screenplay books documenting major early-1990s science fiction and action films draw sustained interest from collectors of film history and behind-the-scenes production material specifically, a category that extends beyond general movie memorabilia collecting into more focused screenplay and visual effects history. Collectors evaluating any surviving copy of this book should prioritize the completeness and legibility of its extensive photographic and storyboard content, given that this material is central to the book's documented value as a production history resource rather than simply a printed copy of the film's dialogue.
Looking for More Issues Like This?
Illustrated screenplay books documenting major early-1990s science fiction and action films, particularly substantial production histories like this "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" volume, represent a genuinely significant category for collectors of film history and behind-the-scenes production material. Since this particular item does not have a dedicated Terminator or film collection link available, the broader 1991 magazine archive at OriginalMagazines.com is the best starting point for collectors looking to explore other publications from that specific year in American film and popular culture. It offers a practical way to continue building a collection centered on one of the most technically influential action films of the early 1990s.