Tom Cruise to star in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Next Film

Cruise has been actively seeking the chance to return to the sort of auteur-driven work that saw him score an Oscar nomination for 1999’s ‘Magnolia’.

(Left) Tom Cruise attends the Abu Dhabi Red Carpet and Premiere of 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' presented by Paramount Pictures and Skydance at Emirates Palace Hotel on June 26, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures. (Right) Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director of the Oscar-nominated film 'Biutiful' in the Foreign Language Film Award category for the 83rd Academy Awards attends a reception in the Grand Lobby of the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, CA on Friday, February 25, 2011. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, CA. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit/©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

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Tom Cruise has found a potential next movie.
He’s making a deal to appear in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s new, untitled film.
It’s all part of his deal with Warner Bros.

Tom Cruise has certainly done well for himself in big franchises such as ‘Mission: Impossible’ and ‘Top Gun’, where he spends his time doing daring deeds.

But at the age of 61 –– and while he’s not planning to slow down exactly, even he’s beginning to think he might want to try something else.

And in this case, “something else” is getting back to working with drama-focused directors whose budgets don’t include the GDP of a small European country. Something, in fact, more like Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film ‘Magnolia’, for which Cruise scored a richly deserved Oscar nomination.

According to Deadline, Cruise is now making a deal to star in the next film from ‘The Revenant’ and ‘Birdman’ director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, a man with no little experience of Oscars.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu: A Primer

Alejandro G. Iñárritu accepts the Oscar® for Achievement in directing, for work on 'The Revenant' during the live ABC Telecast of The 88th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 28, 2016. Credit/Provider: Aaron Poole / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: Scott Diussa.

In case you’re not sure who we’re talking about, the Mexican filmmaker has enjoyed successful career making unique, thoughtful dramas.

His most successful run was between 2010-2015, when he directed ‘Biutiful’, ‘Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’ and survival drama ‘The Revenant’, the latter two scoring him back-to-back Best Director Oscars (‘The Revenant’ scored a clutch of awards, including one for star Leonardo DiCaprio).

After some time away from filmmaking (though he did shoot some commercials), he returned in 2022 for Netflix movie ‘Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’.

What is Iñárritu’s new movie about?

Alejandro G. Iñárritu poses backstage with the Oscar® for Original screenplay, for work on “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” during the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Credit/Provider: Aaron Poole / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

That’s the big question right now –– the director has not revealed any plot details and all Deadline’s report was able to discover was his co-writers: Sabina Berman, as well as ‘Birdman’ colleagues Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolas Giacobone.

Cruise reportedly took a meeting with the director about potentially working together recently and had essentially agreed to star in and produce the new movie. We’ll see whether he makes it his next film, or if he squeezes in another from his list of potentials, including the movie Doug Liman is planning to film in space.

Warner Bros., which signed a big deal to have Cruise work on some of its movies, is looking to acquire the rights to the new film alongside regular co-production company Legendary.

What of Quentin Tarantino?

Quentin Tarantino accepts the Oscar® for original screenplay for “Django Unchained” during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre, in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Talking of auteurs, recent chatter suggested that Cruise had been looking to work with Quentin Tarantino on his next (and according to the director, final) film, ‘The Movie Critic’.

With word of the new deal, it seems Cruise has made his choice, though we suppose there’s always a chance he could be entering a new stage in his career, and he’ll only work on movies with a cost roughly equal to the catering budget for his blockbusters –– but don’t hold your breath. Unless you’re Tom Cruise, and you can hold your breath for a long time…