Considering how hard it is to get people to go see a Tom Cruise movie these days, it wouldn't be surprising if it was also hard to get a director who'll work with the guy. Of course, Cruise's waning bankability isn't the reason that his spy movie, the weakly titled Edwin A. Salt, has already lost Terry George and Michael Mann as potential directors. I'm not sure why they aren't doing the film (Mann apparently picked Public Enemies instead), but it can't be fears of a potentially low gross. No matter; they are out and Peter Berg (The Kingdom) is in, according to Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider Blog. Well, he's not quite in yet; Columbia Pictures is only reportedly wooing the guy, though in the end it's supposedly up to Cruise's approval whether or not he gets the gig. Interestingly enough, Berg can almost be viewed as a Mann protégé, since he produced The Kingdom and Berg's follow-up, next summer's Will Smith vehicle, Hancock (the trailer of which hit the net this week). However, it doesn't appear that Mann will have any involvement with Edwin A. Salt.I won't admit to being the biggest fan of Berg's work (who could, really?), but I will admit that The Kingdom was one of my top ten movies of 2007. Though it's mainly on my list because all critics have to have that one obligatory mainstream Hollywood pick, I do think it was directed quite well, with a tone that perfectly suited what it was really about (American dreams of an '80s action-movie-type response to 9/11). Also, his Friday Night Lights (the film; I haven't seen the TV pilot he did) was better than most high school football movies. So, I'm excited to see what he can do with Cruise, a script from Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium) and the beginning-to-get-tired world of spies.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-20-2007 @ 3:59PM
George Egan said...
I was listening to the Pu-239 commentary, on which Peter Berg does half the talking... Geez this man is a moron. It's like he was only there to make Scott Burns sound like a witty genius. I suppose getting him to direct a Tom Cruise movie is good, since now I only have to avoid one film...
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12-20-2007 @ 11:24PM
TR said...
Can you please report facts because last I check many actors and actresses have many films that dont do well at the box office and Tom Cruise is not alone. Hate Tom all you want he is one of the greatest actors around and bring in many entertaining films. Other reports I read its the strike that is screwing up all this unfinished scripts for many movies.
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12-21-2007 @ 1:30AM
gibbs said...
No director wants to work with Cruise when on tv I hear James Mangold,Spielberg,Brett Ratner(yikes) etc wants to work with Cruise. On the NY Times article it states Cruise is bound to be loyal first to MGM & U.A. to make his business partner happy but his contract also states he is still free to work with other studios i.e.Warner,Fox,Columbia etc except Paramount. On Extra,Will Smith said fans are dying to see them team up and Jerry Bruckheimer wants to make this happen.
Such double standards that Pitt's movie Assasination of Jesse James was not box office gold and likely Tom Hanks Charlie Wilson's war & other war films and political films,Sweeney Todd by Depp wont be breaking records at the box office but no news about it unlike Cruise. Such petty onesided journalism by the media today.
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12-21-2007 @ 1:41AM
gibbs said...
Add that he and Jon Favreu are buddies too originally Cruise was attached to do Iron Man until Robert Downey Jr. was the final choice. Or according to Chud,Latino Review and Variety several months ago Zack Synder visited the Cruise mansion wanting him to do Watchmen but Cruise is not interested. I advise sometimes movie sites to visit paparazzis sites like Lulop,x17online,Just Jared,People etc because they have videos of directors,actors and studio CEO and internet moguls visiting Tom Cruise mansion or dining with him at the Beverly Hills restaurants. It helps get the facts straight and gain advance news.
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12-25-2007 @ 3:33PM
fiona said...
Mindless media drone said:
"Considering how hard it is to get people to go see a Tom Cruise movie these days"
Uh, isn't MI:III his last movie (Lions for lambs doesn't count, it's not a Cruise movie, third billing and 10min onscreen) did excellent box office 400M$ worldwilde! For a third episode of an old franchise, that's stunning numbers.
And oh, it broke sales records in HD DVD and Blue Ray.
Cruise is extremely fine.
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