THEN & NOW: The cast of the original 'Terminator' movies

Terminator 2 / TriStar

T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) becomes the John Connors (Edward Furlong) unlikely savior in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

Nobody expected "The Terminator" to be a hit in 1984.

It came from James Cameron, a then untested director who's only previous credit was "Piranha Part Two: The Spawning."

Made on an estimated budget of $6.4 million, "The Terminator" grossed $78.4 million worldwide and gave Cameron the clout he needed to eventually go on and direct "Aliens," "Titanic" and "Avatar."

Meanwhile, the 1991 sequel "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is considered one of the greatest sequels of all time. With a worldwide gross of $519.8 million, it was the highest grossing film of the year, and showed that Arnold could play both bad and good guy.

The two films serve as direct inspiration for the next film in the franchise, "Terminator Genisys," which is expected to kick off a new trilogy.

"The Terminator" might be best known for launching the career of its star Arnold Schwarzenegger while also giving him a catchphrase ("I'll be back") that would follow him around for the rest of his career.

But he wasn't the only one who's star power greatly rose after its release.

With the next series in the franchise in theaters July 1, let's take a look back at the stars of the franchise.