Tom Cruise gives update on outer space action movie

It’s one small step for Tom Cruise, and one giant leap for Hollywood: he’s developing one of the first action movies in outer space, but the star doesn’t know when it’ll happen.

He’s climbed the Burj Khalifa, clung to the side of a plane as it takes off, flown a fighter jet, and even driven a motorbike off a cliff into a parachute jump; no mission is impossible for Cruise, and soon, he’ll become one of the first actors to touch the stars.

The actor is reuniting with his Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman, alongside his partner-in-insanity Christopher McQuarrie, for an untitled action movie shot in space.

This was announced in 2020, but between global restrictions, Top Gun: Maverick, and work on Dead Reckoning Part 1 and 2, Cruise has been a bit busy – but it’s coming.

Tom Cruise is “working on” outer space action movie

At the premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 in New York, AP asked Cruise if he’s heading to space any time soon.

“We’re working on that, I’m working on that, definitely. It’s amazing, I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said. When asked when he’ll start training for the film, Cruise replied: “I’ve been doing research for years on it.”

Speaking to Variety, he was asked when he’s going to space. “You know what, I don’t know yet,” he said. “We’ve been working on it diligently, and we’ll just see where we go.”

Little is known about the project, and while it’s not the first narrative feature to be shot in space (that honor goes to The Challenge, a Russian thriller), Universal Pictures is hoping for Cruise’s most ambitious stunt yet: a real-life spacewalk.

“Tom Cruise is taking us to space. He’s taking the world to space. That’s the plan,” Universal head Donna Langley told BBC News.

“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 will “mostly take place on Earth, then the character needs to go up to space to save the day”, with Cruise playing a “down-on-his-luck guy who finds himself in the position of being the only person who could save Earth.”

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 is in UK cinemas now, and it’ll arrive in the US on July 12. Check out our other coverage below:

• Mission: Impossible 7 review
• Ending explained
• Who dies in Dead Reckoning Part 1?
• Dead Reckoning Part 1 cast & characters
• Every movie ranked by impossibility of Tom Cruise’s stunts
• How to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order
• Does Dead Reckoning Part 1 have a post-credits scene?
• How long is the M:I7 runtime?
• Dead Reckoning Part 2: Everything we know