Tom Cruise in Rock of Ages and Jack Reacher

“I was 19 when I made Taps, and my character loved weapons. In one scene, I was firing a machine gun out a window, and I looked down and there was a guy shooting back at me. This was my first experience with stunts—and an expert marksman was aiming at me! I didn’t want to look like I was dumb, but between takes I pulled the guy aside and said, ‘Have you done this before? You’re not going to shoot me, are you?’ I was terrified that my first big part would be my last.”

Source

Share

Here’s the Jack Reacher review by Ain’t It Cool News. Jack Reacher opens in US on December 21st (for International release dates, check here)

JACK REACHER is a smart brutal suspense flick… just what I’d hope Christopher McQuarrie would make!

I’ve seen JACK REACHER for about a month now. Just cleared the embargo stage so let’s hop right into it. Why should you give two shits about this film? Well, it is based on a series of books by Lee Child that has huge fans. Reacher is essentially the most badass Military Detective that there ever was. He found problems. That life is in the rearview and now he wanders the earth like Kane from Kung Fu having adventures. Now, there’s no Eastern philosophy. Jack Reacher is a bit more like John Rambo… except a whole lot more functional. Rambo’s zero to sixty is almost instantaneous. Jack Reacher has that kind of acceleration of violence, but he has a rather intense personal code. I’m pretty sure he belongs behind bars… but he’s kinda like the whole damn A-TEAM boiled into one very lethal Tom Cruise.

Reacher is probably a bit more talkative than his character in the book, but McQuarrie’s dialogue for Reacher is so choice. In fact if you watch Cruise’s Jack Reacher… efficient & precise describe his actions, dialogue and line of thought. Shortest distances. He keeps things explosive, even if they’re barbs of the verbal side.

You should not be surprised. This film is the second feature film directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The first is an intensely violent crime film called THE WAY OF THE GUN. McQuarrie is all kinds of sharp. He writes and directs like a clockwork mechanism. You always can look and marvel at the film as it comes together. It is deliberately clever & I really respond to that in a film like this.

JACK REACHER is an old school man with internally created way of life. He’s a man like The Outlaw Josey Wales. And that’s a very good film to conjure when talking about this movie. You’re talking ex-Military badass, never able to return home. Living day by day the way he lives. He’s a violent man. He stays off the clock, between the shadows. He uses the Greyhound bus system to travel. No ID checks, no tracking. You get the idea… trouble finds him… you also get the idea that people around him get hurt and he moves forward. Always forward. He doesn’t do anything that he can’t live with.

Now the bad guys in this are into political corruption, they’re part of the infection feeding on society, but that’s getting ahead of myself.

The film starts off with a sniper mass murder spree. Brutal and not glorified. It isn’t a cool scene… it’s an oddly familiar one. The kind of thing you wouldn’t be surprised to have explode into tomorrow’s media. They quickly capture the “guy” – he’s disenfranchised, ex-military… even had a history of this kind of thing. All the evidence points to him and there is an OVERWHELMING CASE against him. He says, GET JACK REACHER.

Like I said, this crime has the media circus swirling and even a transient badass like Reacher sees the news and he had sworn to this killer that… Well, that’d be telling too much. Rosamund Pike plays the lawyer defending the mass murderer against her DA Father. Things occur, Reacher begins helping the Defense after checking out the evidence. He smells a frame. Rosamund suffers a bit in the film from that Sondra Locke in JOSEY WALES syndrome. When you have Josey Wales in a movie, do you really crave anything else? She isn’t bad… she’s just doesn’t have THE part, ya know? Between Cruise and… WERNER HERZOG!

Now – I love films like this. Trail mysteries where each breadcrumb leads to the next – and then… eventually people are being killed in Werner Herzog’s fucking presence – because WERNER HERZOG is one of the scariest men ever. God bless him. He’s our Eric Von Stroheim and I adore him. People remain mysteries when they’re tough and when you hear the story Herzog tells about his character’s origin…. It is SO AWESOME – it’s a classic McQuarrie criminal bedtime tale – and I can’t get enough of these. It isn’t as operatic at Keyser Soze, but you can bet Keyser likes The Zec’s style.

If you love PARKER movies, this is a movie and a character of that kind of determination. JACK REACHER is made of that pulp – and McQuarrie knows that pulp. Cruise smartly puts himself in McQuarrie’s hands and the film that comes out of that has a wonderful swagger.

OH and Robert Duvall is a retired Marine with a Shooting Range that Reacher ends up at… and Duvall is totally in the Chief Dan George – CHARACTER & COLOR mode. He’s awesome. Just like Chief Dan George was awesome in Josey Wales.

Now I know, I’ve brought up THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES so I assume you have to want to know, what’s better? Well, OUTLAW JOSEY WALES. Duh. By miles, because that’s my favorite Eastwood western. Love it. And to have a film set in the current world that evokes that iconic man of mystery. The alley angel you hope is out there maybe putting a few wrongs right the wrong way.

This film is called JACK REACHER and after you see it, you’ll know the name and what it stands for.

Also keep your eyes on David Oyelowo, he’s the investigatind Detective on the case that starts the film. He does real good work in a role that lets him have some fun. He keeps doing really wonderful work in film. Can’t wait to see what he has for us next.

I’m so happy that McQuarrie finally has that career fire burning that I’ve wanted for him ever since I saw WAY OF THE GUN. Can I mention that film enough? And if McQuarrie gets to make a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film like it looks like, it’ll be one helluva caper flick… hope there’s some genuine flim flam going on.

12 years between his first and second feature and McQuarrie is improving with age! Now it gets really interesting.

Share

A new featurette for the Lee Child adaptation Jack Reacher has been released. The film is based on Child’s novel One Shot, which is one of 16 novels that center on the Jack Reacher character. In this featurette, the author talks about bringing the wildly popular character to the big screen and defends the decision to cast Tom Cruise as the 6’5”, 250 lbs. title character from the book series. Despite a grating intro that’s narrated by “Movie Trailer Guy,” the featurette provides a nice look at the film and gives fans the chance to hear Child talk about having his material adapted into a feature film. Director Christopher McQuarrie was just recently tapped to helm Mission: Impossible 5 based on his work with Cruise on Jack Reacher, so obviously Cruise and Paramount are happy with the film. Here’s hoping he’s put together a fun thriller that’ll please the book’s legion of fans.

Hit the jump to watch the featurette. The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, and Werner Herzog. Jack Reacher opens on December 21st.

You can watch it in HD over at Yahoo!

Here’s the official synopsis for Jack Reacher:

When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.

Source

Share

Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise was recently interviewed and revealed that Mission: Impossible 5 might be on it’s way to the big screen.

The actor explains his experience making films and his vision for the franchise.

“I started Mission: Impossible hoping I could make many of them. It’s a character that I can grow with. At that time it was the most expensive film in the history of Paramount Pictures, and the first film I was producing. It’s been pretty exciting. I’ll make a bunch of those. I’ll make as many as people want to see… because they’re very challenging, and so much fun to make. We’re already working on different images. Talking conceptually. I love traveling around promoting different movies because I’m always looking at different places, and I always walk around to see the city. I look at architecture, subways… coming up with different sequences.”

Tom Cruise will next be seen in Christopher McQuarrie’s crime drama Jack Reacher, which hits theaters December 21st.

Mission: Impossible 5 comes to theaters in 2015 and stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames.

Source

Share

DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has closed its deal to acquire Our Name Is Adam, the T.S. Nowlin script that will have Tom Cruise play an astronaut who travels back in time and works with his younger self. I reported that Paramount would step up and not waste the first crack it had on the material through its first look deal with Mary Parent’s Disruption. The studio stepped up after it secured Skydance Productions as its partner on the film. There was buzz on the project when it looked like other studios would get a shot at the material, but that pretty much ended when Paramount entered into an exclusive negotiation last Wednesday.

This gives Paramount and Skydance yet another project with Cruise. The parties already have the Mission: Impossible franchise, the upcoming Christopher McQuarrie-directed Jack Reacher, and the sequel to Top Gun.

Source

Share

Looks like another movie project for Tom. Still not confirmed whether Tom is starring on it or just producing.

There’s some great intuition on my part. When, last night, I wrote about Tom Cruise‘s ever-so-recent attachment to a sci-fi project titled Our Name Is Adam, the presence of producer Mary Parent‘s Disruptor Entertainment led me — and, it should be admitted, several others — to think Paramount Pictures would end up distributing.

Lo and behold, Deadline now claim the studio is working to bring T.S. Nowlin‘s screenplay under their command, going so far as to “[do] everything they can to make the numbers work before their first look expires and others get a shot at it.” Taking that into account, expect this one to come together in the very near future.

And, though previously held close to the chest, Deadline claim Our Name Is Adam Adam happens to be — should this be true, the title makes a whole lot more sense — “a Back to the Future-style tale in which Cruise goes back in time and meets his former self.” That’s still not a huge amount to know, but, sure, I can go with that.

Source

Share

Set to be released on March 14th, 2014, here’s an article from screenrant.com

This year’s been rough on Tom Cruise both personally and professionally, between his much-publicized divorce from Katie Holmes, Rock of Ages‘ weak reception, and Top Gun director Tony Scott committing suicide. Cruise returns this winter with Jack Reacher, marking the screen debut of Lee Child’s popular character; however, it remains to be seen if the film – which has incited fan outcry over the alleged (mis)casting of Cruise – will buck the trend, or cap off a tumultuous year for the A-lister (following the successful Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol from last December).

Meanwhile, production has commenced on Cruise’s next star vehicle, an adaptation of the illustrated sci-fi novel All You Need Is Kill, which co-stars Emily Blunt (Looper) and is directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Jumper). Scroll down for more information on All You Need Is Kill, including the official synopsis and release date.

Here is the plot summary for the All You Need Is Kill adaptation, based on a script co-adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s source novel by Joby Harold (Awake), Dante Harper (Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters), and frequent Cruise collaborator, Christopher McQuarrie (Valkyrie, Jack Reacher):

The story unfolds in a near future in which a hive-like alien race, called Mimics, have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, shredding great cities to rubble and leaving millions of human casualties in their wake. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters or their telepathic commanders. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances.

Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and then dropped—untrained and ill-equipped—into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an Alpha down with him. But, impossibly, he awakens back at the beginning of the same hellish day, and is forced to fight and die again…and again. Direct physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop—dooming him to live out the same brutal combat over and over.

But with each pass, Cage becomes tougher, smarter, and able to engage the Mimics with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt), who has lain waste to more Mimics than anyone on Earth. As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated battle becomes an opportunity to find the key to annihilating the alien invaders and saving the Earth.

The All You Need Is Kill cast is rounded out by such people as Bill Paxton (Aliens, Titanic), Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood), Franz Drameh (Attack the Block), Tony Way (Game of Thrones), and Dragomir Mrsic (Easy Money), among others.

Warner Bros. has scheduled All You Need Is Kill to hit theaters on March 14th in 2014, a date also currently being occupied by both Disney’s Maleficent (starring Angelina Jolie) and DreamWorks’ animated feature, Me and My Shadow. Cruise, however, will be returning to the sci-fi/action genre before that, with next year’s Oblivion, based on the graphic novel co-created by director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy).

Following All You Need Is Kill, Cruise will likely turn his attention to working on either Mission: Impossible 5 or the developing Van Helsing reboot from Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. He’s also been linked to appear in a remake of The Magnificent Seven somewhere down the line (should the project get an official greenlight).

Share

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are ending their five-year marriage.

“This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family,” Holmes’ attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, said in a statement, first given to People Magazine. “Katie’s primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter’s best interest.”
Cruise’s rep, Amanda Lunberg, told THR, “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out.”
The actor and actress were married in a star-studded Italian wedding in November, 2006, and have a six-year-old daughter named Suri. Cruise was previously married to actress Nicole Kidman, from 1990-2001, and actress Mimi Rogers, from 1987-1990. Holmes is 16 years his junior; she was previously engaged to actor Chris Klein.
Holmes is perhaps best known for her lead role in the teen drama Dawson’s Creek, while Cruise has toplined a long list of hit films. His most recent effort, the 80s hair-metal musical Rock of Ages, struggled at the box office, while this winter’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol proved a massive hit. He will next be seen as Jack Reacher in the big screen adaptation of the action novel One Shot.

Source

Share

Six years of marriage has not diminished the love Tom Cruise feels for his famous wife.

In Playboy’s June issue, the “Mission: Impossible” star says he loves Katie Holmes as much now as he did when they got hitched in 2006 – even though naysayers were placing bets on how long their union would last.

“She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you’d see it,” said the 49-year-old actor, who stars in the upcoming film “Rock of Ages.”

“Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity,” he went on. “When she becomes interested in something, she doesn’t talk about it – she does it.”

Case in point: Holmes’ continual willingness to try new things.

“One week I said to her, ‘You’ve been up in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?’” Cruise recalled. “She smiled and then threw this thing on my desk and said, ‘I wrote this script.’ She wanted to try it, and she did. She wanted to try designing clothes, and now her line is wonderful and, to me, an example of how she just creates beautiful things in her life. She has a voice and warmth as an artist, as a mother.”

If you can’t tell, “I’m a romantic,” Cruise said. “I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that … I’m just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special.”

Cruise would rather spend time with his 33-year-old wife and their daughter, Suri, than anything else, but that doesn’t mean he slacks on perfecting his craft.

“I needed to find out if I could really sing!” he told W magazine of rehearsals for “Rock of Ages,” in which he plays Stacee Jaxx, an aging, long-haired, tattooed rockstar.

“[Axl] Rose’s former vocal coach [Ron Anderson] came in and worked with me,” he said. “And then I had to learn how to play guitar. I’m very good at air guitar—and air drums—but I had never played an actual guitar.”

After spending weeks honing “Stacee’s technical skills, I was thinking about the character, and I said, “You know what? I need a monkey,” Cruise said, referring to his character’s animal bestie in the musical-turned-movie. “The baboon’s name has to be Hey Man. Stacee Jaxx doesn’t work without Hey Man.”

“Rock of Ages” hits theaters June 15.

Source: CNN

Share

DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: When Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions were making the green light decision on the $150 million budget Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol following the lackluster $76 million domestic gross on Knight & Day, some wondered if Tom Cruise was still in the conversation as one of Hollywood’s most bankable male stars. The answer is yes. Today, the film will reach a global gross of $603 million, making Ghost Protocol the highest-grossing film of Cruise’s long career. It surpassed any film that Cruise made during his long relationship with Paramount, beating the $591.7 million gross turned in by War Of The Worlds.

Cruise has starred in five of Paramount’s top 10 grossing films in the last 15 years, with M:I4 falling in behind Titanic‘s $1.8 billion, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull‘s $786.6 million, Forrest Gump‘s $677.4 million, and Iron Man 2‘s $623 million. The film has a strong chance to pass the Iron Man sequel. Studio insiders tell me that the film crosses the $400 million mark internationally today, and has already grossed $36 million in China after being released six days ago. We’ve seen how much Cruise put into the film as an actor — running up and down the Dubai skyscraper was something no star outside of Jackie Chan would do. Beyond, that, he spent 16 days promoting the film, covering nine countries on six continents. Cruise, who fought for JJ Abrams to make his feature directing debut on Mission: Impossible 3 (they produced Ghost Protocol together) also embraced Brad Bird to make his live-action directing debut this time around.

There will obviously be another Mission: Impossible, but those talks haven’t really gotten underway yet. Cruise, who opens in June in Rock Of Ages for Warner Bros, is shooting the Christopher McQuarrie-directed One Shot for Paramount (releasing February 2013), then goes right into the Joseph Kosinski-directed Oblivion for Universal in March (releasing July 2013), followed by the Doug Liman-directed All You Need Is Kill for Warner Bros. Sequels often make it bigger to draw bigger numbers, and Jeremy Renner and the supporting cast helped, but with Ghost Protocol, Cruise has certainly answered questions about his place in the movie star food chain.

Source: Deadline

Share