Jarett Wieselman has a nice Tropic Thunder video clip in his NYPost PopWrap blog! Go check it out here.

His comment:
There are only two reasons to see “Tropic Thunder.” One is Robert Downey Jr.’s unbelievable performance - am I the only one who thinks his name should start getting bandied around for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar?

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the film yet, get a glimpse of Tom in dance-tastic action above!

“I LOVE Paula Wagner but she wants to produce elsewhere and in her own venue and I don’t intend to stand in her way. I’ll say this of her leaving United Artists — whatever Paula wants is what I want her to have! And I hope we’ll continue working together on future projects.” So spoke Tom Cruise on the phone with me this week. He added, cryptically: “I don’t run United Artists; I just own it.” It’s always fun to talk to Tom who tells me that his now “controversial” film about the German resistance attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler in World War II is coming out on Dec. 26. All those critics who have panned the project, “Valkyrie,” in advance, should know that nothing can deter Tom from his belief in this story. He says, “It’s original. It’s suspenseful. The writers Chris McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander are just great and I can’t say enough good things about the director Bryan Singer. I first met him at the ‘Mission: Impossible’ premiere and we’ve been hoping to work together ever since. (Singer is the man who did “X-Men” and “Superman Returns.)”

WHEN I asked Tom why he felt so many people in the business have gone after the “Valkyrie” project as if it’s a bad idea or something historically obscene, he sighed: “It just doesn’t make sense to me either. The moment I read the screenplay I knew it was an important story and as it’s a true tale of heroic resistance to one of the great villains of history, I can’t imagine that people won’t want to see it.”

I ASKED Tom if he will continue doing comedies on the heels of his “character” impersonation as a fat, horrid studio executive in Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder”? He laughed, “Well, I’m always looking for something new and Ben’s movie is hilarious. He and I are old friends and he is a really good director, so originally I said I’d do it just for friendship. But it turned out great. I actually love comedy and I did it in ‘Risky Business’ so I’ll do more if it presents itself. I’m also always looking for a good love story and I think I have one in a coming international thriller called ‘The Tourist.’ I believe I will be doing that.”

I told Tom I was looking forward to his wife’s debut on Broadway in the revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” He said, “Things are going really well for Katie and we’ll see you on opening night, Sept. 18.” I congratulated moviedom’s big star on his little baby girl. He began to burble: “Oh, yes, she’s so charming; she’s so beautiful; she’s just great!” (That was Daddy talking, not the formidable icon who has made billions of dollars for Hollywood since 1983.) (Source: Variety)

“Tropic Thunder” retained the weekend B.O. crown, slipping just 38% to collect $16.1 million.
Before “Tropic Thunder,” only “The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” had managed to stay in the top spot for more than a week this summer. And only two previous studio summer titles, “Mamma Mia!” and “What Happens in Vegas,” had seen second-week drops of less than 40%.

The $90 million Ben Stiller sendup of Hollywood had a stellar Saturday, jumping 25% over its Friday level to gross $6.5 million. That propelled it past Sony’s female-skewing “The House Bunny,” which finished second at $15.1 million.

Universal’s “Death Race,” the remake of 1975 cult classic “Death Race 2000,” was initially considered a possible weekend champ but hit some speed bumps to take third at $12.3 million. The two top newcomers grabbed the expected auds, with “Death Race” skewing 63% male and “House Bunny” 68% female.

The weekend’s other wide openers fared worse. MGM/Dimension’s “The Longshots,” a family sports drama starring Ice Cube, finished eighth with $4.3 million. Fox continued its run of disappointments with “The Rocker,” a Rainn Wilson-starring bid at another “School of Rock”; it came in 12th with $2.8 million.

Fox wasn’t the only distrib with comedy agita. Focus launched Sundance darling “Hamlet 2” in 53 U.S. markets but came away with just $435,294 for a middling average of $4,226. A wide break of some 1,500 runs is set for Wednesday.

“Tropic Thunder,” a headline-grabber for months over content some have deemed offensive, an unbilled cameo by Tom Cruise and its risky economics, has now grossed $65.7 million.

“We definitely felt internally we were going to be No. 1, but Saturday was a pleasant surprise,” said DreamWorks/Paramount rep Chip Sullivan.

Warner Bros. claimed the Nos. 4 and 5 spots on the chart. “The Dark Knight” inched closer to the $500 million domestic mark, adding $10.3 million to reach a $489.2 million cume. The animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” grabbed $5.6 million for a $25 million total.

Overall, it was a soft weekend. The penultimate frame of a surprisingly healthy summer saw receipts off a few percentage points from the year-ago period. The summer tally fell a fraction off the pace of last year’s record $4.16 billion, though a diverse product mix and earlier-than-usual Labor Day makes equaling the record a possibility. (Read more at Variety.com)

Angelina Jolie might be many things, but she is not a “replacement” for Tom Cruise in the upcoming spy thriller “Edwin A. Salt,” as many outlets have reported.

According to a source close to the film, the studio did want Cruise in the lead role, but the actor passed.

“This story about Jolie taking over is completely false … this started with an inaccurate report months ago that said (Cruise) was taking the role,” says the source. “They courted him for almost a year for this movie. He considered it but passed.”

The source says a legitimate announcement about Cruise’s next film could come sooner rather than later. “He’s been offered many roles in the past few months. We’re sure to see news about the next project soon.” (MSNBC)

Tom Cruise made yet another declaration of his devotion to wife Katie Holmes - after flying all night to walk her to work in the morning.

According to America’s OK! magazine, the actor jumped on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles on Thursday, August 14 to join Holmes as she prepares for a new role in a New York theater.

The pair strolled through Manhattan’s star-studded West Village with daughter Suri, two, as Cruise escorted his wife to a rehearsal for Broadway’s revival of All My Sons.

A source tells the magazine, “Some construction workers asked for a picture, but Tom politely said, ‘Sorry guys, I can’t stop. I’m walking my wife to work. She’s got rehearsals to get to.’”

Holmes starts her run in All My Sons in the autumn (08). (Source: Showbizspy)

In spite of the fact he is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, I must confess that I am not a fan of Ben Stiller. (…) was with this in mind that I attended “Tropic Thunder,” a film that not only starred Stiller, but was written and directed by him as well. I fully expected to dislike it — but, much like a jungle ambush, it took me by surprise. It is, hands down, the funniest film that I have seen this year.

“Tropic Thunder” follows the production of a Vietnam war film featuring four famous but individually challenging entertainers. Tugg Speedman (Stiller) is an action-movie star looking for an award-calibre role that will revive his sagging career. Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) is an Oscar-winning thespian who will stop at nothing to “step into the skin” of his character. Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) is a heroin-addicted slacker and star of the “Fatties” movie franchise who will stoop to any level to feed his habit. Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) is a hip-hop star who is trying to segue into film. Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) is a rookie actor hoping for his big break with his cinematic idols.

This talented but motley crew is led by Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), a first-time director who is losing control of his production. After an epic dressing-down by studio head Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), and with some assistance from burnout writer Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte) and pyromaniac stunt director Cody (Danny McBride), Cockburn decides to inject some reality into the film by dropping his prima donna cast into the jungle with little more than a map. Unbeknownst to Cockburn, the jungle is fraught with all manner of dangers, not the least of which is a brutal drug lord’s heroin den. It is going to take the performance of their lives to negotiate their way out of this scene.

I have to admit that, after watching this film, I have developed a cautious respect for Stiller. This film is one of the most biting, witty pieces of satire that I have seen on-screen in a long time. The story is original, the dialogue is smart and the action moves the film along without being ridiculous. While it is not necessarily Oscar material, I will be surprised if “Tropic Thunder” does not make its way onto the nomination list for a few Golden Globes.

Much has been said about the performance of Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus, an actor so oblivious to anything beyond his craft that he is willing to cross the boundaries of political correctness and decency to inhabit his character. Without a doubt, he has created a very amusing and intentionally annoying character. I have always enjoyed Downey Jr., and he did not disappoint me in this film.

But, for me, the highlight of this film was not the performances of the lead actors, but rather the cameo performance by Cruise. I cannot remember the last time that I laughed so hard or so loud in a theatre. Cruise’s performance was hilariously campy — he stole every scene in which he appeared. I am still not convinced that Cruise could carry a comedy on his own, but in this ensemble piece, he succeeds in delivering the best comedic performance that I have seen this year. It will be a crime if he is not nominated for a Golden Globe.

“Tropic Thunder” is a film that I would recommend without hesitation. I entered the theatre expecting a slightly tasteless display of toilet humour, and exited having spent two hours watching a smart satire that mocks the political incorrectness and the Hollywood vice that sits on its surface. Whether you see it for Downey Jr. or you see it for Cruise, by all means see it — this is one of the summer’s best films. (Timmins Daily Press)

As Tom Cruise goes about writing the next chapter in his career, he’s developing an interest in comic book movies.

Together with Sam Raimi, he is setting up “Sleeper” at Warner Bros. Cruise is loosely attached to star in the adaptation of the DC Comics/Wildstorm comic that Raimi would produce with his Star Road Entertainment partner Josh Donen.

Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, “Sleeper,” which ran from 2003-05, centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group, named Miss Misery.

Although he remains a co-owner of United Artists — from which his longtime producing partner Paula Weinstein resigned last week — he’s not tied exclusively to that company. It now looks as if his next acting gig will be the Spyglass thriller “Tourist,” as if to counter the more cerebral role he played in the UA boxoffice failure “Lions for Lambs” and the upcoming UA WWII period pic “Valkyrie,” in which he plays the anti-Nazi Claus van Stauffenberg.

“Sleeper” is the third project that Cruise has become associated with over the past two weeks –all three separate from his commitments at UA. In addition to “Tourist,” the actor has expressed interest in the Working Title-Universal comedy “Food Fight.”

Also apart from UA, the actor picked up some good notices last week for his uncharacteristic turn as a bald film mogul in DreamWorks-Paramount’s “Tropic Thunder.”

Even if Cruise opts not to do “Sleeper,” his interest in the project is propelling it forward, despite complicated rights issues that must be sorted out. Raimi and Donen have long been fans of the book, and the project could have found homes at Sony and Regency if those issues hadn’t been so complex.

“Sleeper” is a spin-off book from Wildstorm flagship title “WildC.A.T.s” and features characters from another spin-off book, “Gen 13.”
Both books had been set up at different places around town and some of those deals were made before DC bought the imprint in 1999.

Warners, now involved in a legal wrangle with Fox over the rights to “Watchmen,” appears determined to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s in its contracts for “Sleeper.”

The project is being eyed not only as a starring vehicle for Cruise but also as a possible franchise for the studio.
Matt Reilly is overseeing the project for Warners while Russell Hollander shepherds for Star Road. Gregory Noveck oversees for DC. No writer is attached.

“Sleeper” sees Raimi and Donen continuing their company’s superhero, which began when they recently set up the superhero story “The Transplants” at Disney. (HollywoodReporter)

Isaac Hayes got an all-star send-off fit for the Black Moses.

Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes were among those attending Sunday’s private burial service for the Oscar- and Grammy-winning music legend, while Shaft star Richard Roundtree, Chuck D, Bootsy Collins, Doug E. Fresh, Kelly Preston, Anne Archer and the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were among the 3,000 mourners at today’s public memorial in Memphis.

“He was a lovely man, always involved with causes,” said Jackson before the service. “Literacy, civil rights. He was always there, and that’s why we’re all here for him.”

During the four-hour service, which included video and music, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen said that the city should celebrate Hayes as it does Elvis Presley, even floating the idea of naming the local airport after the seminal soul singer.

“He is a person who the world will miss,” Cohen said. (Source: E! Online)

DreamWorks and Paramount’s outrageous big-budget comedy “Tropic Thunder” topped the weekend box office in grossing an estimated $26 million from 3,319 runs for a five-day opening of $37 million, meaning the R-rated pic will need sturdy legs and a strong overseas run to impress financially.
The star-packed pic, playing best among older males, landed in between “Pineapple Express” and “Step Brothers” in terms of its opening performance, but those two R-rated laffers both cost far less to produce.

The biggest victory of the weekend belonged to Warner Bros.’ “The Dark Knight,” which is now the second highest grossing pic of all time after “Titanic” domestically, according to Rentrak. Batman sequel may have been bumped from the No. 1 spot after four weeks, but it dipped only 36% in its fifth frame to an estimated $16.8 million from 3,590. Cume is $471.5 million, eclipsing the $461 million earned by the original “Stars Wars.”

“Dark Knight” beat the “Star Wars” franchise in more ways than one. Unspooling over the weekend was Lucasfilm’s family toon “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the feature film companion to the upcoming Cartoon Network series. Pic took the No. 3 spot, grossing an estimated $15.5 million from 3,452 in a solid but not spectacular opening.

The summer box office continues to run slightly ahead of last year’s record-breaking grosses, although the weekend itself was down roughly 2% from the same weekend a year ago, when R-rated laffer “Superbad” debuted to $33 million. The Olympics likely dampened multiplex traffic. (Saturday night’s telecast was the most watched Saturday night program on NBC in 18 years.)

Several other wide openers also tried to stake their claim at the B.O. before kids start returning to school this week.

Benefiting from being the only horror pic in the market, New Regency’s “Mirrors,” directed by Alexandre Aja and distributed by 20th Century Fox, came in No. 4 and debuted to an estimated $11.1 million from 2,664 runs. That’s the best showing for a Fox release since early summer. New Regency financed and produced the film, which skewed female.

On the specialty side, the Weinstein Co.’s Woody Allen pic “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” distributed by MGM, placed No. 10 for the weekend in grossing an estimated $3.7 million for a per screen average of $5,361.

Summit’s 3-D toon “Fly Me to the Moon” wasn’t able to crack the top 10 in its bow, hampered by holdover 3-D film “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” “Fly Me to the Moon” opened to an estimated $2 million from 452 screens, coming in behind “Journey,” which grossed an estimated $3.5 million from 1,405 screens for a cume of $88.1 million in its sixth sesh.

If the fledgling 3-D market is crowded, the market for R-rated films is even worse, with “Tropic Thunder,” “Pineapple Express” and “Step Brothers” essentially opening back to back. “Mirrors” also added to the late-summer deluge.

“Tropic Thunder,” starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Tom Cruise, wasn’t able to match the $41.2 million five-day opening for “Pineapple Express” the previous week. “Step Brothers” debuted to $30 million over the July 25 weekend. Latter two comedies were both produced by Judd Apatow and released by Sony.

DreamWorks said “Tropic Thunder,” directed by Stiller, performed in line with expectations. Some 57% of the aud was male and 57% over age 25. Because it appealed more to adults, “Tropic Thunder” saw stronger weekend numbers and lighter traffic on its first two weekdays than did “Pineapple Express.”

The combo of “Tropic Thunder” and “Mirrors” seemed to take a bite out of “Pineapple,” which dropped a sizable 57% in its second weekend to an estimated $10 million from 3,072 runs for a cume of $63 million in its first 10 days. Comedies coming out of the Apatow camp usually enjoy stronger holds.

DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan said “Tropic Thunder” steadily built its audience over the five-day stretch. He predicted that strong word of mouth will keep the film high up on the box office chart.

Cruise’s portrayal of a foul-mouthed, overweight studio exec is a particular crowd favorite.

“Each cast member is getting terrific notices. Because we purposefully didn’t include Tom Cruise in any of the marketing materials, his performance is definitely getting attention,” Sullivan said.
The production budget of “Tropic Thunder” is being put at $90 million, although it’s believed to be closer to $120 million before factoring in tax credits. Production budget on “Pineapple Express” was under $30 million.

DreamWorks expects the film to do well overseas, pointing to Stiller’s and Cruise’s popularity abroad. Stiller’s “The Heartbreak Kid” grossed $90 million internationally and $30 million domestically. “Tropic Thunder” opened in only a few territories over the weekend.

(Visit Variety.com to read the entire article.)

Variety reports that Tom Cruise is in negotiations with Spyglass Entertainment to play the lead character in the upcoming film “The Tourist”, a remake of a 2005 French thriller “Anthony Zimmer”.

“The Tourist” will be directed by Bharat Nalluri and is reported to be the strongest contender for Cruise’s next film.

Julian Fellowes of “Gosford Park” wrote the script about an American Tourist who is used as a pawn by a female Interpol agent.

The film will be produced by Spyglass principals Gary Barber, Roger Bimbaum and Jonathan Glickman. (current-movie-reviews.com)

Pictures added:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It took four of Hollywood’s biggest stars to take down Batman. The DreamWorks-Paramount comedy “Tropic Thunder” — with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Tom Cruise — debuted at No. 1 with $26 million, bumping “The Dark Knight” to second place after four weekends on top, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Warner Bros. Batman flick pulled in $16.8 million to raise its total to $471.5 million. “The Dark Knight” passed the original “Star Wars” ($461 million) and now stands as No. 2 on the all-time domestic charts, behind only “Titanic” ($600.8 million).

Taking inflation into account, “The Dark Knight” trails both movies in actual tickets sold, however. “The Dark Knight” would need to gross about $900 million to match the number of admissions for “Titanic” and about $1.2 billion to equal “Star Wars.”

Warner Bros. expects “The Dark Knight” to top out at about $530 million domestically, said Dan Fellman, the studio’s head of distribution.

“The Dark Knight” managed to fend off another “Star Wars” movie this weekend. The animated tale “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” also released by Warner Bros., opened at No. 3 with $15.5 million.

Families made up two-thirds of the audience for “Clone Wars,” Fellman said. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, who has an executive producer credit on “Clone Wars,” intended the movie as an introduction to his “Clone Wars” TV show debuting this fall on the Cartoon Network.

“It was targeted to a specific audience for specific reasons,” Fellman said. “We accomplished that mission, and it will continue in another medium.”

“Tropic Thunder” was the third R-rated comedy to open solidly in recent weeks, following “Pineapple Express” and “Step Brothers.” Most summer comedies are rated PG-13, since an R rating limits the audience by requiring anyone younger than 17 to come with an adult.

R-rated comedy hits tend to open in the $20 million to $30 million range, lower than their PG-13 counterparts, but often have a longer shelf life in theaters as audiences spread the word. R-rated movies such as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up” and “Superbad” all opened around those levels and went on to become $100 million hits.

“We’re thrilled, quite frankly. It played out exactly how we hoped,” said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan.

Stiller directed and co-wrote “Tropic Thunder,” in which he stars with Downey and Black as pampered actors who find themselves in a real combat situation while shooting a Vietnam War epic in the Asian jungles. Cruise co-stars as a bald, egomaniacal studio boss.

“Tropic Thunder” raised its total to $37 million since opening Wednesday.

The 20th Century Fox horror tale “Mirrors,” starring Kiefer Sutherland as a security guard whose family is terrorized by spirits, opened at No. 4 with $11.1 million.

Woody Allen returned to commercial form with his Spanish romance “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” which opened at No. 10 with $3.7 million.

The movie played in narrower release, 692 theaters compared with 3,000-plus for “Tropic Thunder” and “Clone Wars.” Still, it opened far wider than most Allen films, which usually start in a handful of theaters and gradually expand.

“You never can predict how something’s going to do, but we felt that the movie is so strong, we just needed to get it out there,” said Harvey Weinstein, whose Weinstein Co. released the movie under its distribution agreement with MGM. “The audience reaction is terrific.”

Summit Entertainment’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” a 3-D animated tale about three flies that tag along on the Apollo 11 moon landing, debuted in 452 theaters and took in $2 million, finishing at No. 12.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “Tropic Thunder,” $26 million.

2. “The Dark Knight,” $16.8 million.

3. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” $15.5 million.

4. “Mirrors,” $11.1 million.

5. “Pineapple Express,” $10 million.

6. “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” $8.6 million.

7. “Mamma Mia!”, $6.5 million.

8. “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” $5.9 million.

9. “Step Brothers,” $5 million.

10. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” $3.7 million.

___

On the Net:

http://www.mediabynumbers.com (Source: Yahoo! News)

I’ve found some old stories that shed some light on why Paula Wagner ultimately left as Chief Exec. at MGM/UA:

Wagner to split from MGM

Paula Wagner is in talks to leave Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s United Artists label after falling out with the Hollywood studio over the financing and independence of the company.

Ms Wagner and Tom Cruise, her production partner, joined UA almost two years ago after the Hollywood star was fired by Paramount Pictures.

Harry Sloan, MGM’s chairman, gave the pair an equity stake in UA and autonomy to “green light” their own movies. The aim of the deal was to revive MGM and the historic UA label by bringing in two of Hollywood’s biggest names. The move was meant to prove to sceptical observers that Mr Sloan meant business with his plans to turn round MGM, which had fallen behind rival studios and scaled back its production business.

Ms Wagner and Mr Cruise were promised complete autonomy by MGM but the marriage has failed. UA executives hired by Ms Wagner have recently departed the company, apparently at the behest of MGM, which has caused friction.

Other senior executives have also been hired, which has caused a further deterioration in relations between Ms Wagner and Mr Sloan.

In addition, MGM has failed to raise financing to fund its own production slate. UA succeeded in raising $500m in a deal arranged by Merrill Lynch but although the money was to be used exclusively to fund UA movies there have been internal disagreements about whether the money can be spent on MGM films.

These tensions have stalled UA’s own plans, said a person familiar with the situation. Ms Wagner declined to comment. However, the person familiar with the situation said she planned to return to full-time movie production.

MGM also declined to comment. The studio came close to securing its own production fund last year but the plans were hit by the onset of the credit crunch.

Since then the company, which is owned by Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners, has also held negotiations with Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media group about a co-financing deal for several MGM films.

Mr Cruise and Ms Wagner will keep their equity stakes in UA. But Ms Wagner will leave her executive role after finishing post-production on Valkyrie , a second world war drama starring Mr Cruise. (ft.com, August 14, 2008)

Tom Cruise’s Production Partner Bows Out

Tom Cruise’s longtime production partner, Paula Wagner, has announced that she is leaving her chief executive post at the new United Artists to pursue projects independently.

She will retain her coownership in UA, the nearly century-old studio that she and Cruise revived after losing their spot on the Paramount lot in 2006, and she’ll continue to work on her films that are already in the pipeline.

“I love Paula—we have worked together and been friends for over 25 years,” Cruise said in a statement Thursday. “I support her in anything she does. Paula is an incredibly smart and talented producer, and I look forward to working together producing films in the future.”

“I’ve truly relished working with my longtime partner Tom Cruise to revitalize United Artists, and I am proud of all that we’ve accomplished in the past two years, reinvigorating the brand and developing such a strong slate of films,” Wagner said in a statement Wednesday.

Wagner owns the UA shingle with Cruise, whose role at the company isn’t expected to be affected, and MGM.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed my time as an executive, I have longed to return to my true love, which is making movies, so that’s what I’ve decided to do,” her statement continued. “I still believe in our vision for UA, and I am confident that [MGM CEO] Harry Sloan and our colleagues at MGM will see that vision through to reality.”

Per Variety, she is expected to step down following the Dec. 26 release of Bryan Singer’s trouble-plagued World War II thriller, Valkyrie.

“This was very hard for Tom. Everyone recognized that Paula has been a disaster. But to his credit, he wanted her to have an exit with honor,” a source told L.A. Weekly’s Deadline Hollywood blog, which predicted the shakeup on Monday.

The “disaster” claim was in reference to the production problems plaguing Valkyrie and the box-office flop that was UA’s first effort, Lion for Lambs, both misfires that were rumored to be affecting the company’s financing deals. (E! Online, August 13, 2008)

So… It seems to me Paula only left after unforseen problems with not making enough money for UA, according to Mr Sloan, and that she will continue to work with Tom for C/W Productions.

HOLLYWOOD - Bosses at MGM studios have given their backing to Tom Cruise, insisting the actor is perfectly capable of running United Artists (UA) on his own.

Cruise and his production partner Paula Wagner stepped in to take over the film company in 2006, running it on behalf of MGM studios, after the movie star fell out with Paramount Pictures, his home studio for many years.

Wagner announced earlier this week that she is to quit her post at the helm of UA to pursue projects independently. And although she will retain her co-ownership of the firm, she will no longer be involved in running the business.

MGM chairman and CEO Harry E. Sloan has now issued a statement giving his full support to the Cruise.

It reads, “I would like to clarify that we are honored that he (Cruise) will continue as our full partner in control of UA. He is in the middle of one of the greatest careers our industry has ever seen and one that will continue at the top of United Artists Entertainment.” (Hollywood.com, August 15, 2008)

As if Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner weren’t making enough news today, their “Valkyrie” is back on the 2008 slate.
MGM has moved the film to open Dec. 26, instead of the Feb. 13 date that was previously announced.

Sources close to events said the move was made for purely commercial reasons, after a screening of the film went well. The studio sees it as a holiday pic and award consideration was not a factor, they say. The film is directed by Bryan Singer.

Sony also shifted its Will Smith movie, “Seven Pounds” to Dec. 19, a week after its previously announced Dec. 12 bow. (Source: Variety)

Pictures added:

Updated (1 picture added):

Updated (3 pictures added):

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Seeking to end speculation that superstar Tom Cruise may soon leave Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s United Artists film label, MGM Chairman Harry Sloan said on Thursday the actor will stay a “full partner” at the studio.

“He will continue as our full partner in control of UA. He is in the middle of one of the greatest careers our industry has ever seen and one that will continue at the top of United Artists Entertainment,” Sloan said in statement.

One day earlier, Cruise’s long-time producing partner Paula Wagner left her post as chief executive of UA to return to making movies instead of running the specialty film company.

MGM said in a statement late Wednesday that Cruise would remain with UA, but speculation continued in Hollywood on Thursday that Cruise might soon leave.

Cruise and Wagner, who was Cruise’s producing partner on movies such as the “Mission: Impossible” series, acquired around 30 percent of the MGM division nearly two years ago to revive the studio formed by Hollywood luminaries Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffiths.

But under Wagner’s tenure, UA released just one movie, “Lions for Lambs,” that flopped at box offices, and they have seen their World War II drama “Valkyrie” delayed.

Still, Wagner left with several high-profile projects in development including “Ranger’s Apprentice” from Oscar winner Paul Haggis and “Champions” by Guillermo del Toro.

Wagner retained her ownership stake in UA, and the studio continues to operate with a full staff that includes Chief Operating Officer Elliot Kleinberg.

(Editing by Richard Chang) (Source: Yahoo! News)

Paula Wagner leaving UA as chief executive

LOS ANGELES - Tom Cruise’s producing partner Paula Wagner said Wednesday she will leave her job as chief executive of United Artists to produce projects independently.

Wagner will continue to co-own the studio with Cruise and “be attached to UA’s most exciting film properties,” UA and its parent company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. added in a joint statement.

Cruise and Wagner were brought in to head UA in November 2006.

She said she still believes in the vision she and Cruise have for the film studio that was formed nearly 90 years ago by Hollywood actors including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford.

“I am proud of all that we’ve accomplished in the past two years,” she said.

However, the effort has faced challenges.

The studio flopped on its first production attempt with last year’s political thriller “Lions for Lambs,” which was estimated to have lost about $30 million. Wagner has said the company took a modest financial risk with the film but its symbolic benefits were invaluable.

UA’s second effort “Valkyrie,” starring Cruise as a Nazi army officer executed after a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, has been delayed a few times.

In April, UA pushed back the release date from Oct. 3 to February 2009. MGM announced Wednesday the film would be released Dec. 26.

“We saw and tested the movie, and we believe a strong movie deserves a strong play date,” said Clark Woods, president of MGM Distribution. (Source: Yahoo! News)

Source: The Hollywood Reporter August 12, 2008

Tom Cruise is loosely attached to Food Fight, a warmhearted comedy about a snooty New York chef who is forced to cook meals at a school cafeteria, says The Hollywood Reporter. Cruise would play the role of the chef in the project at Universal-based Working Title.

Veteran screenwriter Adam Brooks (Definitely, Maybe) is attached to write the screenplay. Drillbit Taylor helmer Steven Brill had been in talks to direct Food Fight, but they came to naught; a search for a new director is under way.

“Food Fight” would mark a departure for Cruise, who has made few comedies since his breakout role in 1983’s “Risky business”: His last such lead role was in 1996’s dramedy “Jerry Maguire.”

In Tropic Thunder, Cruise plays an overweight, over-the-top studio executive. He has had other bit comedy parts over the years in films like Austin Powers in Goldmember. (Source: Coming Soon)

Source: Variety

Columbia Pictures espionage thriller Edwin A. Salt, once expected to star Tom Cruise, will be rewritten by screenwriter Kurt Wimmer as a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie, reports Variety. Philip Noyce remains attached as director and Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Sunil Perkash are producing.

Jolie is close to a deal to play the title character, a CIA officer who’s accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy and must elude capture long enough to establish her innocence.

Cruise had long flirted with the project, but that ended recently. The well-regarded script had several male movie stars circling.

Jolie took a liking to it, prompting the studio’s decision to rewrite it. The trade adds that the project won’t require that much of an overhaul to suit her.

Edwin A. Salt will undergo a title change, and if everything falls into place, the film shapes up as a return vehicle for Jolie, who recently gave birth to twins. Another candidate for her return is the Lionsgate drama Atlas Shrugged, which has been adapted by Randall Wallace from the Ayn Rand novel. (Source: Coming Soon)

Holmes Denies Forcing Out Cruise’s Family

Tom Cruise’s representative has denied the star’s wife, Katie Holmes, has ordered his mother and sister to move out of the couple’s family home.

Cruise’s mom, Mary Lee South, and his sister Cass have been living with the Hollywood actor at his mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., since his divorce from Nicole Kidman in 2001. But now the star’s family have decided to quit the luxury property, leaving Cruise, Holmes and their 2-year-old daughter, Suri, alone in the house.

The move sparked rumors that Holmes had played a part in their departure. But a representative for Cruise has dismissed the claims, telling the London newspaper Metro, “This has nothing to do with Katie.” (SFGate)

It’s been 25 years since he shimmied in his skivvies in Risky Business, but Tom Cruise can still shake it like a pro, according to his Tropic Thunder director Ben Stiller.

“The guy has moves,” says Stiller, who also co-wrote and stars in the military-themed action-comedy.

Cruise, 46, is winning raves for his role as a vulgar, venom-spewing studio executive in the movie, in which he’s nearly unrecognizable beneath a fat suit, a bald cap and a beard.

The dancing was Cruise’s idea, says his director.

“It wasn’t in the script,” Stiller said during a press day for the film. “He was like, ‘You know, I really feel like I want this guy to dance.’ ”

Some of the physical transformation was Cruise’s brainchild too. “He said, ‘I really want to have some big, hairy hands,’ ” says Stiller. “I actually didn’t have to sell him on anything.”

Cruise isn’t the only Thunder actor who took on a controversial, image-twisting role: Robert Downey Jr. has drawn praise for his portrayal of an African-American actor in the movie.

Tropic Thunder hits theaters Aug. 13. (People, August 07, 2008)

Tom Cruise says Ben Stiller is his inspiration. Cruise, who has a cameo as a fat balding studio executive in Ben’s new comedy ‘Tropic Thunder’, loved working with the comic star and has praised his achievements in Hollywood. He said: “One can’t fully appreciate what Ben has accomplished in acting, writing, directing, producing, and starring in a film like ‘Tropic Thunder’ without recognising that any single one of these functions alone is a full-time job.” Cruise, who worked with Stiller on 2000 mockumentary ‘Mission: Improbable’, has also revealed he didn’t hesitate at the chance to team up with him again after Ben described the movie as his “dream project”.

The 46-year-old ‘Top Gun’ star added to Men’s Vogue magazine: “To make a long story short, I read it, I loved it, and we started working on it.”

Meanwhile, Ben has praised Tom’s comic timing in ‘Tropic Thunder’ and insists he was prepared to do anything to raise a laugh.

Stiller said: “He said, ‘I want really big hands playing this guy.’ I said, ‘Really? Big hands?’ He had these hands made, and then I said, ‘Well, it’d be really cool if you were bald too.’ Then we did this make-up test where he got bald.

“Then he said, ‘It’d be interesting if this guy danced.’ He started dancing. I was loving it. I asked him if he’d be up for dancing in the end credits and he said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ ” (Source: iafrica)