Tom Cruise is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars working in Hollywood right now. He’s one of those actors whose name on a movie poster alone guarantees packed theaters. Now, it’s long been known that Cruise is Paramount’s golden boy; five of his last seven movies were with the studio, including the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun films.
However, on January 9, 2024, Cruise signed a new deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to develop and produce original and franchise films that he will star in. And Paramount was never even consulted on the decision. Why did Cruise suddenly decide to switch studios? What does this mean for his future projects? Here is everything you need to know about the Tom Cruise and Warner Bros. deal.
Why did Tom Cruise Cut Ties With Paramount?
According to some reports, Tom Cruise’s deal with Warner Bros. Discovery is the result of a growing rift with Paramount over several issues. First up, Cruise is a firm believer in cinemas and the whole moviegoing experience. So, when Paramount suggested releasing the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible movies onto their streaming service after a shorter 45-day theatrical run, Cruise wasn’t happy about it. He fought tooth and nail and at one point, even lawyered up, eventually convincing Paramount to let the movies complete their entire theatrical run. Paramount was also pushing Cruise to approve spin-off shows of Mission: Impossible and Days of Thunder. Cruise, though, was adamantly against milking his movies for spin-off streaming content.
Cruise and Paramount also butted heads over the direction of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Cruise wanted to keep one-upping his previous stunts, even suggesting shooting a sequence in space, but Paramount rejected these ideas due to safety and budget concerns. Cruise also wanted more control over the casting and script of the films, which led to clashes with the studio executives.
Paramount was also unhappy with Cruise and his writer-director Christopher McQuarrie because the duo would suddenly change plans mid-filming and add to the production budget. This is why the release date for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning — Part One was postponed four times. Sources report that this ballooned the film’s total budget by over $25 million! At one point, tensions had gotten so bad that Cruise supposedly cut Paramount off from script updates and dailies. Considering these conflicts, it makes sense why Cruise chose to go with Warner Bros. Discovery. He’ll have greater creative control over his films at WBD, and the WBD CEO David Zaslav also shares Cruise’s sentiments regarding the importance of cinemas.
How Will the WBD Deal Impact Tom Cruise and Paramount Franchise Movies?
There’s no Ethan Hunt or Maverick without Tom Cruise; that’s a given. So, what will happen to the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun sequels after the WBD deal? Apparently, there’s no exclusivity clause in the new contract signed between Cruise and WBD. This means Cruise is legally free to continue working on the Paramount sequels. Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning — Part Two is currently in development, and it’s being reported that Cruise is also collaborating with Paramount on Top Gun 3.
However, no further sequels have been confirmed for these movies. It’s unlikely that Cruise will make any new films with Paramount in the near future, as he’ll be focusing on developing projects with WBD. Sources say that Cruise is intent on launching a whole new action film franchise at the new studio. So, if we do get a Mission: Impossible 9 or a Top Gun 4, there’s a high chance Cruise will be missing from the cast. But, in the meantime, we can look forward to seeing him in exciting new projects from WBD.
Rumors of an ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ Sequel
At WBD, Cruise has access to the studio’s vast library of IP, which includes DC Comics, Harry Potter, The Matrix, and so much more. But the biggest rumors we’re hearing point to an Edge of Tomorrow sequel. Fans have been begging for a follow-up to the 2014 sci-fi action film for years, and the stars finally seem to have aligned. Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman have both expressed interest in another time-looping adventure. In 2022, Liman even revealed a script titled “Live Die Repeat and Repeat”, and that he was waiting for the right time to make it.
Plus, Cruise really wants to shoot a movie in space. In 2022, there were rumors that the Edge of Tomorrow sequel would have a scene shot in space where the character’s arc requires him to complete a dangerous spacewalk to save the planet. This would effectively make Cruise the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station! After the Mission: Impossible space scene rejection from Paramount, Edge of Tomorrow seems to be the perfect movie for Cruise to fulfill his spacewalking dreams.
Emily Blunt, Cruise’s co-star in Edge of Tomorrow, has also expressed her interest in an Edge of Tomorrow sequel, but the problem was Cruise’s busy schedule due to his commitments at Paramount. She stated, “I wish there could be [a sequel]. There was [a script] that Doug kind of slithered over to me… I would love to make it a reality, but I just don’t know when, or how, or how many Mission: Impossibles does [Tom Cruise] need?” But now, with Cruise’s schedule clear and the WBD deal in place, an Edge of Tomorrow sequel is highly likely going to happen soon. In the meantime, check out the most death-defying stunts Tom Cruise has performed.
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