When the news came a few years ago that Tom Cruise was planning to make a movie set and filmed in actual space, we all thought, “Well, of course he is!” and we probably backed the crazy bastard to actually pull it off. He was deep in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA on the logistics.
Doug Liman was due to direct. Cruise was to play a down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself the only person who can save Earth. Part of the movie was to be shot in space with Cruise actually taking to orbit.
A report from Page Six now says that this won’t be happening. The project is cancelled. According to the report, the movie was hampered by political issues with Cruise himself. He has always stayed completely apolitical to avoid alienating any fans, choosing not to get involved in political action or conversations.
No matter the involvement of SpaceX, the movie would have required NASA to coordinate, and while the Trump administration was supportive, Cruise did not want to be seen as having to ask Donald Trump for a favor.
Something else in the report that is probably closer to the heart of the matter is that the logistical challenges were mounting, insurance costs were soaring, and director Liman failed a physical to launch.
So that’s space and underwater that have both proved a bridge too far, even for Tom Cruise.
