is tom cruise going to space

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What’s the latest with Tom Cruise’s daredevil ‘£153,500,000’ space movie?

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What feels like eons ago, Tom Cruise was announced as collaborating with NASA and SpaceX to film a movie partly in space where he would also become the first civilian to perform a spacewalk.

It appears Cruise is clearly itching to progress from stunts like riding a motorbike clean off a cliff in Mission: Impossible 7 and abseiling into the Paris Olympics stadium to something in a whole new stratosphere .

Back in 2020 the project and its collaborators – including Road House director Doug Liman – were first publicly spoken of, in relation to a space flight set for October 2021, but things have remained earthbound since.

Of course, the pandemic necessitated it be pushed back, followed by the writers and actors’ strike that then happened, presenting major hurdles, as well as Cruise’s own busy calendar of other movies in development.

Filmmaker Liman meanwhile discussed his involvement, admitting to Thrillist of the almost-first-of-its-kind project that ‘when a producer proposes something crazy to you, like, let’s try to shoot a movie in outer space, and NASA and SpaceX sign on, and Tom Cruise signs on… you’re just a little bit more receptive’.

However, a Russian film crew actually pipped Hollywood to the post by shooting scenes for the first-ever movie filmed in space , at the International Space Station, in late 2021. It was called Challenge.

Universal Pictures’ head Donna Langley teased further details of the US’s bold version by revealing that one of the studio’s plans would see Cruise, 62, ‘taking the world to space’ in October 2022.

‘We have a great project in development with Tom, that does contemplate him doing just that. Taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station,’ she told the BBC .

Langley also shared that the film ‘actually [mostly] takes place on Earth, and then the character needs to go up to space to save the day’, with the chairwoman describing Cruise’s character as ‘a down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth’.

But what’s happened since for the movie, which reportedly boats a $200 million (£153.5m) budget, according to Variety?

Well, back in July 2023, Top Gun: Maverick star Cruise confirmed that he was ‘definitely’ still on board.

‘We’re working on that. I’m working on that, definitely,’ he confirmed at the premiere for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning .

‘I’ve always wanted to do that… We’ve been doing a lot of research for years,’ he added, as per ITV .

And then all went quiet again.

However, a source has recently claimed that Cruise is still ‘determined’ to get cameras rolling on the space movie.

‘Tom has always been absolutely obsessed with extraterrestrial life forms, which is why he’s so determined to get his space movie off the ground,’ an insider told In Touch Weekly .

Although there aren’t yet any concrete updates, the source also confirmed that the daredevil Hollywood star ‘can’t wait to go up there and float around’. 

And in terms of the draw of that ambitious spacewalk for Cruise?

‘It’s not just the ultimate stunt, but he’s also fascinated with UFOs,’ the source added, going on to claim the actor ‘spends hours reading about them and studying all the many classified documents that have been released about them in the last few years’.

The source also said that his interest in the film was ‘partly inspired by his belief in Scientology’.

‘He’s hyper committed to making a big difference in the universe, not just on planet Earth and his movies reflect that, as do his spiritual beliefs,’ they added.

Liman has also offered a few breadcrumbs in terms of updates while promoting his new action heist movie The Instigators for Apple TV Plus, starring Matt Damon.

He confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that ‘it’s something we still talk about, for sure’, in late July.

Entertaining a discussion about working with the biggest (and probably busiest) movie star in the world, Liman agreed that there was a built-in understanding that it could be a ‘long while’ before their space film got made.

‘So I go in with that,’ he reasoned. ‘There’s a reason we haven’t gone to space yet, and when we finally do and the movie comes out, I know I’ll look back at it and be like, “Thank God it didn’t happen earlier.”’

And in August, he also succinctly described the film as ‘still a dream and a plan’ to Collider .

So Liman is clearly not worried about stoking fan hype, and all may not be lost – although we’re still not exactly dealing in firm details, and there’s not a whisper of planned production or release dates.

This space movie is thought to date back as early as 2014 – if not before – and was given the name Luna Park.

As per IMDb, the film lists Mark Bowden, Jason Fuchs and Simon Kinberg as writers, with a synopsis that reads: ‘A group of renegade employees who venture to the moon to steal an energy source.’

Film Stories reports that an early script that was floated back in May 2014 featured the credit ‘revisions by Doug Liman’.

However, a separate listing on the database, called (rivetingly) Untitled Tom Cruise /Space X Project, credits its leading man with the idea and lists Liman and Cruise’s Mission: Impossible director and collaborator Christopher McQuarrie as writers, alongside a story credit for Ferrari producer P.J. van Sandwijk.

Liman and Cruise have previously collaborated on sci-fi blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow, for which fans are also hankering after a hopeful sequel , and 2017’s crime thriller American Made.

We’ll keep you posted as more comes in on this movie that may well still see Tom Cruise boldly go where (almost) no actors have gone before.

Metro.co.uk has contacted a rep for Tom Cruise for comment.

This article was originally published on August 19.

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Tom Cruise's space movie: Release date, cast, plot for Cruise's Space Station movie

Turns out, the sky isn't the limit for cruise.

Seemingly not content with chucking himself off scarily high places, stunt-loving star Tom Cruise looks set to become the first Hollywood actor to shoot a major motion picture in space.

News of Cruise’s as-yet-untitled space movie initially arrived online in 2020 and since then, the actor has delivered a double-punch of huge hits including 2021’s Top Gun: Maverick and the first instalment of Missing: Impossible’s latest two-parter Dead Reckoning.

Both were massive hits with fans and critics alike — and if you believe filmmaking icon Steven Spielberg — the latter even saved cinema during its darkest hour.

Read more: Tom Cruise's most daring stunts

In fact, with his addiction to death-defying stunts showing no signs of slowing, it sometimes feels like there’s nothing Cruise can’t do. With that in mind, what better actor is there to go where no actor has ever gone before and embark on the first American feature film ever made in the inky void above our heads?

Here’s everything we know about Cruise’s space flick so far.

Tom Cruise space movie release date

Despite being announced back in 2020 and with those close to the project delivering a steady stream of updates, Cruise’s high-flying space movie doesn’t have a solid release date yet.

Read more: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One: The best Easter eggs (spoilers)

With the film yet to enter production, it’s unlikely that one will be unveiled anytime soon. Plus, Cruise has a second Mission to un-Impossible before he starts work on anything new, with Dead Reckoning Part Two coming to cinemas in 2024.

With this in mind, it could be 2025 or 2026 before Cruise’s space epic lands in our orbit.

What is the plot of Tom Cruise’s space movie?

When the project was first announced, Variety billed it as a film that would “make history” as the “first narrative feature shot in space.” However, as more time has passed, a few more details have come to light that clue us in on what this groundbreaking space adventure might look like.

The project will be produced by Universal Pictures and helmed by Doug Liman , a filmmaker that Cruise has collaborated with before on 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow and 2017’s American Made. The film reportedly has a budget of around $200 million (£153million) and has recruited the assistance of Elon Musk ’s SpaceX and NASA who will allow the production to shoot on the International Space Station.

Additional details were unveiled by the head of Universal Pictures, Donna Langley, who told the BBC “Tom Cruise is taking us to space. He’s taking the world to space. That’s the plan.

“We have a great project in development with Tom, that does contemplate him doing just that. Taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station.”

Langley also spilt some beans regarding the film’s plot, revealing that the movie “actually [mostly] takes place on Earth, and then the character needs to go up to space to save the day.” According to Universal, Cruise will play a down-on-his-luck everyman that soon discovers he’s the only person who can save the world via a quick trip to space.

If all goes to plan, the movie will be a landmark, as no Hollywood production has ever attempted to helm a movie in the dangerous surroundings of outer space.

Liman spoke to Thrillist about being the person responsible for helming such a project, explaining that “when a producer proposes something crazy to you, like, let’s try to shoot a movie in outer space, and NASA and SpaceX sign on, and Tom Cruise signs on… you’re just a little bit more receptive.”

Cut to 2023 and during a red carpet premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , Cruise confirmed that he and Liman were “working on it diligently and we’ll see where we go” but noted that the movie did not yet have an official start date.

These comments were similarly confirmed by ITV, who captured Cruise saying : "We're working on that. I'm working on that, definitely,” when asked about his space movie.

"I've always wanted to do that... We've been doing a lot of research for years.”

While no American-made film production has ever captured a movie in space, the blank void has been used as a backdrop for a film before. Russian-made feature The Challenge came out earlier this year and reportedly took its cast for a 12-day shoot in space.

Tom Cruise space movie cast

With the movie still firmly in pre-production, it’s currently unclear who might join Cruise on his latest nail-biting adventure.

The project’s official IMDB page currently only lists the Top Gun actor as its sole star. However, we’re sure more faces will join him as the film prepares for takeoff.

Tom Cruise space movie trailer

If you came here looking for a stunt-filled trailer for Cruise’s new space movie, then unfortunately we can’t show you the money. Much like details of the movie's cast, it’s just a bit too early to expect any video clips or full trailers for this one. However, as soon as they land, you’ll find them here.

The Tom Cruise space movie is coming soon.

Go behind the scenes of MI7

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Tom Cruise Might Actually Go to Space for Upcoming Film

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Over two years after it was first reported that Tom Cruise might shoot a film aboard the International Space Station, it appears that the actor is inching closer to becoming “the first civilian to do a spacewalk.”

Back in May 2020, NASA confirmed that they were in talks with Cruise and SpaceX on some sort of film project that was unrelated to the actor’s Mission: Impossible films. “We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote at the time.

With Top Gun: Maverick released and the next M: I installments on the way, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley told the BBC that sending Cruise to space is among the studio’s mission, and shared more details about the project.

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Rather than relying on boring old CGI technology like every other space movie, Cruise — known for doing his own increasingly death-defying stunts — will actually rocket up to the ISS and become “the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station”; it’s unclear whether he’ll stroll around outside the station, as Langley said, or if he’ll actually enter the ISS, as NASA previously stated.

However, the movie is still in the dream phase and hasn’t begun production yet. Cruise does have some previous ISS experience having narrated, via Earth, the 2002 IMAX documentary Space Station 3D .

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Tom Cruise’s Space Movie Will Make Him the ‘First Civilian to Do a Spacewalk Outside of the Space Station,’ Universal Boss Says

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Tom Cruise will “hopefully” become “the first civilian to do a spacewalk” outside of the International Space Station when he blasts off to space to shoot a new action movie with director Doug Liman . Donna Langley , the head of Universal Pictures , teased as much during a recent BBC interview . Universal is backing the Cruise space project, which reportedly carries a budget in the $200 million range. While it was already known the movie would shoot scenes on the ISS, Langley said the plan is to also have Cruise perform a spacewalk.

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Liman and Cruise previously collaborated on films such as “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014) and “American Made” (2017). Further plot details about the duo’s space movie are being kept under wraps, although they are working with both NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. No Hollywood studio has ever filmed a narrative feature film in space before.

“When a producer proposes something crazy to you, like, let’s try to shoot a movie in outer space, and NASA and SpaceX sign on, and Tom Cruise signs on… you’re just a little bit more receptive,” Liman told Thrillist last year about boarding the project.

Sources previously told Variety the film’s production budget has been set at $200 million. Cruise could earn somewhere between $30 million and $60 million, according to insiders. This would cover his services as a producer and star, and also be comprised of significant first-dollar gross participation.

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Art Meets Science

Tom Cruise Might Become the First Civilian to Spacewalk at the ISS

Universal is game to send Cruise into space for a proposed action film, but plans aren’t official yet

Daily Correspondent

Astronauts spend years undergoing rigorous training before they make their first trip into space. And before becoming astronauts, they usually already have years of experience in related fields, such as engineering, geology, aeronautics, physics, medicine and biology; many have doctorates or have seen military combat.

But for actor Tom Cruise , a trip to space might just be another day at the office. Cruise hopes to shoot scenes for an as-yet-untitled action film at the International Space Station (ISS) in the near future. If he succeeds, he’d become “the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station,” according to Donna Langley , chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.

In a lengthy interview with the BBC ’s Katie Razzall, Langley reveals a few more details about the proposed movie, which is “still an aspiration at this stage,” per the BBC.

“Tom Cruise is taking us to space, he’s taking the world to space,” Langley tells the BBC. “That’s the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom.”

Cruise and director Doug Liman , who worked together on the 2014 movie Edge of Tomorrow , pitched the idea for the new film to Langley on a Zoom call during the pandemic. Though she didn’t share too many specific details about the plot, the general gist is that the storyline “actually takes place on earth, and then the character needs to go up to space to save the day.”

Cruise is already known for doing many of his own stunts, including some potentially dangerous ones , so it comes as no surprise that he’s willing to take a rocket to the space station for the sake of cinema. As Daniel Kreps writes for Rolling Stone , it’s unclear whether Cruise would actually go inside the ISS or just walk around outside of the orbiting laboratory.

NASA, for its part, seems willing to collaborate on the movie. Though he has since deleted the tweet, former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in May 2020 that the agency is looking forward to working with Cruise. “We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make NASA’s ambitious plans a reality,” he wrote. Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, which is working with NASA on a number of projects, replied that the project “should be a lot of fun!” As Deadline ’s Mike Fleming Jr. reported at the time, Musk, Cruise and NASA were all reportedly working together to make the film a reality.

Despite his lack of official astronaut training, Cruise does have some cinematic experience with space and aviation. In 2013, he played a futuristic drone technician who must defend Earth against alien invaders in Oblivion . He also narrated the 2002 Imax documentary Space Station 3D . One of his most popular air-and-space-related films, of course, is Top Gun , the 1986 flick about Navy fighter pilots. Cruise also recently starred in the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick .

Since the space station’s launch nearly 24 years ago in 1998, ISS crewmembers have made just 253 spacewalks —in other words, they’re not something NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), Roscosmos or any of the other major space station partners take lightly. Spacewalks are inherently dangerous and, as such, NASA has a whole slew of rules and guidelines around them. As Paola Rosa-Aquino writes for Space.com , they’re also expensive and time-consuming—whenever possible, crewmembers try to use robotic arms to work outside the ISS.

Sometimes, though, astronauts (and Russian cosmonauts) have to go on spacewalks as a last resort. They typically have very specific reasons for leaving the space station, such as performing maintenance or installing new equipment. NASA calls these adventures “extravehicular activities.”

Wearing highly specialized suits outfitted with life support gear, crewmembers depart the space station through a special set of airlock doors. They remain attached to the space station via tethers, and they usually spend five to eight hours in space while completing their objectives.

Astronauts must complete special training before they undertake spacewalks. They spend a lot of time at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory near the Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, they practice spacewalks in a  6.2-million-gallon pool  in which they neither sink nor float. For every hour a crewmember will spend on an ISS spacewalk, they must spend seven hours in the pool, per NASA . They also train via virtual reality technologies that simulate extravehicular activities.

If Cruise ever does make it into orbit, there is another thing he’ll have to keep in mind: remembering to focus in the face of the vast cosmos. And that’s not necessarily an easy feat, as NASA astronaut Mike Fincke told CNN ’s Ashley Strickland last year.

“It’s really truly breathtaking,” he told the publication. “The only thing between you and the rest of the universe, seeing the whole cosmos of creation, is the glass faceplate of your visor on your helmet, and it’s just awe-inspiring.”

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Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

• Entertainment

Tom Cruise Will Be the First Person to Perform a Spacewalk "Outside of the Space Station"

Tom Cruise is making the voyage to outer space, and he's taking all of us along for the ride. After making a comeback as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in " Top Gun: Maverick ," Cruise is swapping his aviator gear for a full-blown spacesuit to film his new, untitled project in partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX company and NASA.

"Tom Cruise is taking us to space. He's taking the world to space. That's the plan," Donna Langley, the head of Universal Pictures, confirmed in a recent BBC interview. "We have a great project in development with Tom that does contemplate him doing just that." If the mission is successful, Cruise will become the first person to perform a civilian spacewalk outside of the International Space Station.

"[It] actually takes place on Earth, and then [Cruise's] character needs to go up to space to save the day."

The project, which reportedly has a $200 million budget, will be directed by Doug Liman and produced by Cruise. "When a producer proposes something as insane as shooting a movie in outer space and the project actually starts to happen, and when that same producer proposes something that is probably even more audacious — 'Let's write and shoot a movie in a couple of months, during a pandemic where everything is locked down' — you entertain the idea because of from whom it came," Liman told Thrillist of the project in 2021. "You're like: Maybe the impossible is possible."

While Cruise will hopefully be making the journey to outer space, the majority of the film will take place on Earth, according to Langley. "[It] actually takes place on Earth, and then [Cruise's] character needs to go up to space to save the day," she said. Describing Cruise's character in the movie, Langley depicted him as a "down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth."

Films like " Moonfall " (2022), "The Martian" (2015), " Interstellar " (2014), and "Gravity" (2013) have put celebrities in similar situations, but none have actually managed to send the actors to outer space. If successful, Cruise's untitled SpaceX project would be a history-making moment in cinema.

NBC Universal and Cruise's representatives did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment about further plot or casting details.

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Tom Cruise and NASA are officially shooting a movie in space

For his next stunt, Tom Cruise is heading to space.

On Tuesday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the organization is collaborating with Tom Cruise on a movie filmed aboard the space station.

"NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality," he tweeted.

This follows Deadline's reporting on Monday that Cruise, Elon Musk's SpaceX, and NASA are working on the first narrative feature film to be shot in space. It's not part of the Mission: Impossible franchise and no studio has been attached at this time, according to the report.

Given that Cruise has executed endless stunts and sustained numerous injuries throughout his career, it makes sense his next adventure would even more thrilling than the last. However, it's not yet clear what role he'll be playing in the production. EW has reached out to representatives for NASA, Cruise, and SpaceX for further comment.

In February, Cruise's latest Mission Impossible movie became one of the first to halt production due to COVID-19. Mission: Impossible 7 was filming in Italy, the epicenter for the coronavirus outside of Asia.

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Everything to Know About Tom Cruise’s New Movie Set in Actual Space

CGI won’t be necessary when it comes to Tom Cruise’s newest project. The actor has fought aliens in robot suits, traveled to the depths of the galaxy, and has flown numerous types of planes and jets, all with the help of movie magic. But when it comes to the space walk he’s set to take for his new film with director Doug Liman, the plan is this time for it to be the real deal.

Universal Pictures is backing Cruise and Liman’s new movie, which plans to film at least some scene in actual space. Donna Langley, the chairman of Universal told the BBC that the hope is for Cruise to head up in a rocket to the International Space Station and from there, to be “the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station.”

To help with that goal, Liman and Universal have enlisted both SpaceX and NASA. Liman also reportedly has a budget of around $200 million, according to Variety . Cruise, apparently, is said to be getting anywhere from $30 to $60 million for his role as the star and producer of the film.

Cruise and Liman originally pitched the film, which doesn’t yet have a name, to Langley during the pandemic over Zoom. Langley clarified that the majority of the movie will actually take place on earth. Cruise will play “a down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth” and he will eventually have to “go up to space to save the day.” As of now, there isn’t much more information on the plot of the movie, or the timeline for its filming.

Remember Tom Cruise's Space Movie? We Finally Have Some New Details

It’s about time we got an update!

Tom Cruise will be keeping movie fans entertained in the coming years with Top Gun: Maverick , Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 , but let’s not forget that he’ll also be leaving Earth at some point to provide us with cinematic entertainment. Back in 2020, it was reported that Cruise was teaming with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie for a movie that will be shot in outer space . It’s been a while since we’ve received any updates on the project, but now we finally have some new details to take in.

Starting off, Universal Pictures is reportedly intending to begin production on this untitled space movie sometime next year, and the studio is waiting for director Doug Liman to deliver the script he’s co-writing with Christopher McQuarrie . The studio is specifically expecting the space movie to be what Cruise tackles next after he and McQuarrie finish shooting Mission: Impossible 8 , which began production not long after Mission: Impossible 7 wrapped up filming in September .

Variety also mentioned in its report that this Universal Pictures feature will only be “partially shot” on the International Space Station, with most of the footage being shot on Earth and some also being obtained on a rocket. Furthermore, rather than being a sci-fi movie, this project is described as an “action-adventure story” that sees Tom Cruise playing a “down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth.”

So now we have a bit of a clearer picture on what to expect from Tom Cruise’s space movie, both with production plans and finally having a basic premise. Unfortunately, Cruise and the gang lost the big screen space race last year , as footage was shot on the International Space Station for a Russian film called The Challenge last October. However, with Cruise’s space outing being a Hollywood production, you can be sure that it’ll rank among the more widely-viewed new movie releases .

Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie go way back to when the latter started leading the charge in the Mission: Impossible film series starting with Rogue Nation , and the actor previously worked with Doug Liman on Edge of Tomorrow . While it would have been understandable if either of these men had to exit this space-set project due to scheduling conflicts or other reasons, as of now, they’re still guiding it along. Funny enough, when Cruise, McQuarrie and Liman pitched the space movie to Universal, they didn’t even have a draft of the script , but the studio was impressed enough to pour $200 million into the project .

Hopefully we won’t have to wait a long time again to learn more about Tom Cruise’s space movie, but whenever major updates do arrive, CinemaBlend will pass the along. In the meantime, Cruise can next be seen in Top Gun : Maverick starting May 27, while Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 were recently pushed back to July 14, 2023 and June 28, 2024, respectively.

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Connoisseur of Marvel, DC, Star Wars, John Wick, MonsterVerse and Doctor Who lore, Adam is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He started working for the site back in late 2014 writing exclusively comic book movie and TV-related articles, and along with branching out into other genres, he also made the jump to editing. Along with his writing and editing duties, as well as interviewing creative talent from time to time, he also oversees the assignment of movie-related features. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism, and he’s been sourced numerous times on Wikipedia. He's aware he looks like Harry Potter and Clark Kent.

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Tom Cruise Movie Reportedly Has an Actual Space Walk in its Sights

First, though, he has to actually get to the International Space Station.

Climbing the world's tallest building didn't take him high enough, nor did jumping back into the cockpit of a fighter jet , apparently. At some point, Tom Cruise will be headed to space for a movie set aboard the International Space Station , and filming will reportedly involve a real-life space walk.

Cruise is known for performing many of his own outrageous stunts, but a space walk would top them all. If it happens, he would become the first civilian ever to venture outside of the International Space Station for a casual stroll some 250 miles above the Earth. 

Variety is reporting that the head of Universal Pictures, Donna Langley, told the BBC that "hopefully" Cruise will add that space walk to his list of accomplishments. "We have a great project in development with Tom, that does contemplate him doing just that," she said in an interview with the BBC.

In 2020, then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed that the space agency would be working with Cruise on a film aboard the space station.

There have been 253 space walks outside the ISS since 1998, according to NASA . All have been performed by professional, qualified astronauts like  Samantha Cristoforetti , who holds the world record for the longest space flight by a European. Cruise has performed some impressive stunts and played adventurous roles, but it's safe to say he will be the most novice space voyager to walk outside the ISS to date.

Little is known about the movie so far, including a potential plot and projected filming or release dates. Universal didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Tom Cruise Is Making a Movie in Space With SpaceX and NASA

Greetings, earthlings. Welcome to another edition of The Monitor , WIRED’s entertainment news roundup. This time around we have news about a Labyrinth sequel (nearly 35 years later, but we’ll take it), a new pandemic-ready movie that was shot on an iPhone, and Tom Cruise's plans to film in space. Here, let us explain.

As you might recall, a few weeks ago we told you about some rumors flying around Hollywood suggesting that Tom Cruise wanted to shoot a movie in space with the help of NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX . Turns out, there was something to them after all. Per a report on Deadline , director Doug Liman, who directed Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow , is on board to helm a new action film that will enlist the help of NASA and SpaceX for at least some of the filming.

Little is known about the plot, but Deadline’s report notes that Liman wrote the first draft of the script and Cruise is a producer on the film. Given the current pandemic and the training Cruise and others will likely have to go through, there’s no telling exactly when the film could start production, but it looks like this one might actually happen. Let’s see if we can get #SendTomCruiseToSpace trending.

Speaking of surprising news, Labyrinth is getting a sequel. Deadline is reporting that Scott Derrickson will direct the follow-up to the 1986 Jim Henson classic. The movie, which has the backing of the Jim Henson Company, will be written by Maggie Levin, who wrote and directed the “My Valentine” installment of Hulu’s Into the Dark . Derrickson recently stepped away from the sequel to his Marvel film Doctor Strange over creative differences.

If there’s one movie that encompasses Right Now, it might be IWeirDo . The rom-com and debut feature from Taiwan’s Liao Ming-Yi was filmed entirely using an iPhone XS and features two soulmates—a girl who is a germophobe and a guy who is almost constantly washing his hands. Oh, also you’ll be able to watch its premiere online due to the coronavirus . The film is opening the Far East Film Festival , which typically takes place in Udine, Italy, but this year is happening online as that country continues to deal with Covid-19. The festival will take place June 26 to July 4, and IWeirDo will premiere on Italian site MyMovies .

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Tom Cruise plans to film a movie in space — and could be the first civilian to do a spacewalk

By Li Cohen

October 11, 2022 / 11:57 AM EDT / CBS News

Tom Cruise's next mission could make history. If the plans for an upcoming film come through, he would fly to space to film the moment where he helps save the planet. 

Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Film Entertainment Group, told the BBC in an interview last week that the 60-year-old "Mission Impossible" and "Top Gun" actor will be "taking the world to space." 

"That's the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom that does contemplate him doing just that," she said, "taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station." 

She said the film request came from Cruise directly and that he is in close collaboration with director Doug Liman, who previously worked with Cruise in 2014's "Edge of Tomorrow" and is also known for "The Bourne Identity" franchise, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Jumper." 

"During the pandemic, he asked for a Zoom call with us and got onto the call and said, 'Guys, I have this great project and here it is,'" Langley recalled in the interview. 

The title and details of the film have not been announced, but Langley said the majority of the story will take place on Earth before Cruise's character "needs to go up to space to save the day." 

The project was first confirmed in 2020 by NASA's then-director Jim Bridenstine. Deadline reported at that time that Elon Musk's SpaceX was also going to collaborate on the film. 

Space Entertainment Enterprise announced in January this year that it would work with Axiom Space to build a content and entertainment studio and "multi-purpose arena" space station module. The venture, called SEE-1, is planned to launch in late 2024 and would be connected to the Axiom Station, a commercial module planned for the International Space Station. 

Last year, Russian actress Julia Peresild and filmmaker Klim Shipenko  spent 12 days aboard the International Space Station working on the first feature film shot in space , with Peresild playing s a doctor making an emergency house call in orbit.

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Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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More details have arrived from Universal's impending outer space movie with  Tom Cruise . Cruise began his career as an A-list celebrity straddling the line between comedy, drama, and action in films like  Risky Business ,  Top Gun , and  Rain Man , eventually rising to become the highest-grossing movie star in history. His recent efforts have mostly been big-budget action extravaganzas with worldwide appeal, especially the entries in the long-running action film franchise  Mission: Impossible , which first featured Tom Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt in 1996.

Over the course of the last few years, Tom Cruise's journey into space has been a captivating drama. In May 2020, just a few months into the global pandemic, it was announced that the actor would be shooting a movie in space. However, his first sojourn to the stars, which was originally planned for October 2021, was delayed, and a Russian film crew beat him to the punch, spending 12 days in orbit shooting scenes from the upcoming movie  The Challenge .

Related:  Top Gun 2's Original Movie Differences Show How Tom Cruise Has Changed

Per  Variety , a few details about the upcoming project that will reteam Tom Cruise with  Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman and  Mission: Impossible 7 director Christopher McQuarrie have been revealed. The filmmakers are currently making progress on the script for the film, which will feature Cruise as an everyman who discovers he alone has the ability to save the planet from an unspecified threat. The film will likely be shot after McQuarrie and Cruise complete production on  Mission: Impossible 8 , and will shoot some scenes on the International Space Station. Although it was rumored that the entire film would be shot in space, most of the other scenes will be filmed on Earth.

Considering Cruise's ever-impressive commitment to doing his own stunts, shooting scenes in space is the natural next step. For his stint in the increasingly action-packed  Mission: Impossible  franchise, Cruise has continued to up the ante on stunts, which have included running down the side of the Burj Khalifa in  Ghost Protocol and being strapped to an airplane flying at 5,000 feet in  Rogue Nation .

Unfortunately,  Tom Cruise 's other commitments have prevented this project from becoming an immediate priority. However, it is certain that whatever he does if and when he leaves the Earth's surface will be a dazzling spectacle on an entirely new level. The actor is a reliable source of death-defying feats that make his human-sized accomplishments feel as big and brassy as the massive blockbusters films around him.

Next:  Mission: Impossible 8 Theory - Tom Cruise's Ethan Will Retire & Become IMF Boss

Source: Variety

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Tom Cruise Could Become First Civilian to Do Spacewalk Outside Space Station for New Movie

Universal Studios executive Donna Langley said Tom Cruise's character in the film "needs to go up to space to save the day"

Tom Cruise intends to become "the first civilian to do a spacewalk" outside of the International Space Station during filming for his next movie with director Doug Liman .

Last week, Universal Pictures executive Donna Langley confirmed in an interview with BBC News that 60-year-old Cruise intends to take "a rocket up to the [International Space Station]" to shoot scenes for the still-untitled project.

"I think Tom Cruise is taking us to space. He's taking the world to space," Langley said. "That's the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom that does contemplate him doing just that, taking a rocket up to the Space Station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a space walk outside of the Space Station."

Cruise's upcoming film, which Langley said he pitched to her over a Zoom call during the pandemic, has a budget in the area of $200 million, according to Variety .

"During the pandemic he asked for a Zoom call with us and got onto the call and said, 'Guys, I've got this great project and here it is,' " Langley said. "The majority of the story actually takes place on Earth and then the character needs to go up to space to save the day."

Langley also described Cruise's character in the movie as "a down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth," according to Variety .

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Cruise and Liman, who previously collaborated on blockbusters like 2014's Edge of Tomorrow and 2017's American Made , were first reported to be working together on the space film in 2020 . Further details on the movie are not yet available, though the pair are working with both NASA and Elon Musk 's SpaceX on the project.

In September 2020, a Twitter post from the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Almanac's account showed that Cruise and Liman were both scheduled to take part in a SpaceX Dragon crew flight in October 2021. It is unclear whether that flight actually happened.

No Hollywood studio has ever filmed a narrative feature film in space, according to Variety .

"There's been a number of people like, 'You're going to kill yourself going to outer space,' " Liman told Thrillist in a January 2021 interview.

"When a producer proposes something as insane as shooting a movie in outer space and the project actually starts to happen ... you entertain the idea because of from whom it came," Liman added at the time. "You're like: Maybe the impossible is possible."

In May 2020, then-NASA administrator James Bridenstine told IndieWire he hoped Cruise's desire to film in space proved successful and that it would inspire future generations: "I'm all for that. We're going to do what we can to make that happen. There was a day when I was in elementary school and I saw Top Gun . From that day, I knew I was going to be a Navy pilot. It's just the way it was."

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Tom Cruise Will Go To Space For Upcoming Movie

Tom Cruise might be cruising to space to save the world from bad guys.

• Cover Photo: Han Myung-Gu / Contributor / GC Images via Getty Images

Tom Cruise is no stranger to stunts and dangerous scenes in movies, as we have seen time and time again with projects like Mission Impossible and Top Gun . However, Cruise’s speculated upcoming stunt is set to overshadow anything the daredevil has done before.

For his up-and-coming 2024 project, Cruise will be going to the International Space Station and is set to not only be the first to film a movie in outer space but also to be the first civilian to ever spacewalk outside the space station in history.

The person behind the plans to send Cruise to space is Donna Langley. Langley is the chair of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and also one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

She told BBC News that “Tom Cruise is taking us to space. He’s taking the world to space. That’s the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom, that does contemplate him doing just that. Taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station.”

The movie is set to be an action film, of course, and will see most of the scenes play out on earth before the actor takes a rocket ship to the International Space Station to save the day from whoever his enemy this time around will be. Langley says the film “actually takes place on earth, and then the character needs to go up to space to save the day.”

Back in 2020, NASA confirmed they were in talks with the movie star to film the first movie in outer space. Now it is speculated that the actor will catch a ride to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. Which is regularly used to get NASA astronauts to and from the space station.

Deadline has reported that the budget for the film is possibly around $200 million dollars. Which, for a movie involving rocket ships, SpaceX, NASA, and Tom Cruise, seems like a light estimate. Especially when space-set movies completely shot on Earth have cost more than that to produce.

Currently, the movie is still in scripting and development. But, since Cruise’s latest Top Gun film saw major box office and commercial success, this film, if approved for space filming, will surely follow that trend. If, of course, it doesn’t just top it.

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• Entertainment

Tom Cruise set to become first actor to shoot movie in outer space

The blockbuster legend has pitched a movie to Universal Pictures that will see him achieve a cinematic feat no other actor has attempted.

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Just when you thought Tom Cruise achieved his greatest possible cinematic triumph with the success of the Top Gun sequel, the blockbuster star comes up with an idea that is, quite literally, out of this world.

The 60-year-old Hollywood veteran has reportedly teamed up with The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman on a movie pitch that involves filming in space, which was first tabled in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic halted plans.

Cruise and Liman are said to have reached out to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) on an idea which will see the actor take a rocket up to the International Space Station.

“I think Tom Cruise is taking us to space, he’s taking the world to space,” UFEG Chairman Donna Langley said, per BBC News.

“That’s the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom … Taking a rocket up to the Space Station and shooting.”

Langley revealed most of the movie would be shot on earth, culminating in “the character [going] up to space to save the day”, adding she is hopeful Cruise will become “the first civilian to do a space walk outside of the space station.”

If the film gets off the ground, Cruise would be the first movie star to shoot in outer space on the International Space Station.

While the move is certainly unprecedented, it’s fair to say it’s unsurprising Cruise is setting his sights for space, with the Jerry Maguire actor renowned for his ambitious stunt work.

On Cruise’s 60th birthday in July, Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie shared a rare photo of the US actor performing a truly insane stunt .

In the image, Cruise can be seen dangling from an airborne red biplane with very little – if any – assistance.

He made headlines when he was injured on the set of Mission Impossible 6 in 2017, with leaked video footage showing his death-defying leap onto a rooftop go horribly wrong.

Cruise was seen slamming into a building, hanging mid-air in his harness before pulling himself up onto the roof and stumbling towards crew members.

Just a few months later, he was back on-set in London shooting stunts again.

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Cruise was recently asked at the Cannes Film Festival why he chooses to forgo a stunt actor, reportedly responding: “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’”

Appreciation for Cruise, who has been working in Hollywood since the early ’80s, is at a fever pitch after the huge success of the long-awaited sequel , Top Gun: Maverick .

It became the fifth highest grossing film in Australia just a few weeks after its May release, having since rocketed to third place and notching over $US1.4 billion ($A2.2 billion) at the global box office.

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Actor and comedian Marc Maron has given a scathing review of filming a scene with the Hollywood legend in the original Joker movie.

British actress Florence Pugh is opening up about the mental toll she felt after shaving her head on-screen with the help of a co-star.