Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Motion Picture Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca Pam Abdy, and Tom Cruise have agreed to a new strategic partnership that will begin this year. The $13 billion-grossing actor and producer will create and produce original and franchise theatrical films in which he will star. Cruise’s production company will have an office on the Burbank, California set.
The last time Cruise appeared in a Warner Bros. film was in the 2014 sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow ($370.5 million global gross), one of eight films he made with the studio, which also included Rock of Ages, The Last Samurai, Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, Interview with the Vampire, Risky Business, and The Outsiders. It’s a victory for Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who took over as co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group in 2022 and have been working hard to revitalize the studio, as well as David Zaslav, who hired them.
The agreement with Cruise, who has projects at rival studios such as Universal and Paramount, is neither exclusive nor a traditional first-look deal. The actor can make films for other studios, but it is hoped that he will be able to produce the type of globally appealing blockbusters that will spawn sequels and boost Warner Bros.’s bottom line.
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“We are thrilled to be working with Tom, an absolute legend in the film industry,” said De Luca and Abdy in a statement. “Our vision, from day one, has been to rebuild this iconic studio to the heights of its glory days, and, in fact, when we first sat down with [Warner Bros. Discovery chief] David Zaslav to talk about joining the Warner Bros. Discovery team, he said to us, ‘We are on a mission to bring Warner Bros. back – we have the best resources, storytelling IP, and talent in the business – and we need to bring Tom Cruise back to Warner Bros!’ Today, that becomes a reality and we are one step closer to achieving our ambition. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Tom back to Warner Bros. and look forward to bringing more of his genius to life on screen in the years ahead.”
The eighth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise for Paramount, as well as an upcoming Universal action film from “Edge of Tomorrow” director Doug Liman, will see Cruise become “the first civilian to do a spacewalk” outside of the International Space Station. He was most recently seen in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” though a box office flop, as well as 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was his biggest hit.
Said Cruise: “I have great respect and admiration for David, Pam, Mike, and the entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery and their commitment to movies, movie fans, and the theatrical experience. I look forward to making great movies together!”
Are you a fan of Tom Cruise’s work? Do you think he can deliver the types of movies you’re excited to see? Let us know in the comments!
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