Hamilton played the lead role in "Children of the Corn" (1984), based on the horror short story by Stephen King. The movie, which made $14 million at the box office, was panned by critics. Hamilton's next role was in "The Terminator" (1984), opposite Michael Biehn. The movie was an unexpectedly huge commercial and critical success. Following "The Terminator", Hamilton starred in "Black Moon Rising", an action thriller with Tommy Lee Jones. She then returned to television as a guest-star in the mystery series "Murder, She Wrote", scoring favorable reviews. Hamilton next starred opposite Ron Perlman in the television series "Beauty and the Beast". The series was critically acclaimed, and she received Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. Hamilton left the series in 1989 and it ended in 1990.