Universal In Early Talks to Take on Movie Shot in Space with Tom Cruise and Doug Liman

Yes, you heard that right. Back in May, the action film star Tom Cruise announced the most ambitious film project ever: shooting feature film in outer space. What seemed like an extremely far-fetched idea is now becoming more and more tangible, with Doug Liman on board to direct the project.

And on top of that, Universal Pictures has confirmed that the studio is in early negotiations to take on the currently untitled movie.

The movie will be supported by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA, who will host the production on the International Space Station.

Story details are unknown, and a script hasn’t been written yet either. However, sources did report that Cruise and his frequent collaborator Liman had been brainstorming a story idea for some time after working together on Edge of Tomorrow and American Made.

The sky is the limit for the ambitious projects. However, there are a few things that Universal and the cast and crew team are, and should be considering.

No one can tell how feasible this project is. Universal would have to take serious consideration in insuring Cruise and the filmmaking team, as they only have one big shot to get the footage they need. Because no scripted production has ever shot action sequences outside of the planet, there is no telling what feats and difficulties the team might face along the way. Also, the production budget has been set at most $200 million.

If Universal does 100% confirm the deal with Cruise and Liman, the studio would have to face the next obstacle, which is Cruise’s superstar tight schedule. The actor still needs to complete production on two more Mission: Impossible films, which were halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With that timetable in mind, along with the many protocols and extensive time needed to shoot footage in space, Cruise, now 58 years old, will be well over 60 years old when he actually blasts himself off into space with the SpaceX vessel.

Jessi Kim: Jessi is currently a first-year student at Wellesley College, majoring in Media Arts and Sciences and Cinema and Media Studies. Her experiences and interests in theatre, designing, film and media theories, and video production inspire her to become involved in the entertainment industry in the future. She has worked as a camp counselor, swim instructor, college campus coordinator, and actor. She currently resides near Boston, MA.
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