Tom Cruise didn\u2019t want to ask Donald Trump for a favor to help his ambitious outer space movie blast off, sources tell Page Six.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s perhaps the latest instance of how Trump can get movies made these days, and how Cruise is allegedly reluctant to court the commander-in-chief.<\/p>\n
Back in 2020, Deadline reported that the \u201cMission: Impossible\u201d star was aiming to shoot a film in outer space <\/a>with his \u201cEdge of Tomorrow\u201d director Doug Liman, and cooperation from Space X and NASA.<\/p>\n Five years later, an insider familiar with the filmmakers told Page Six of the ambitious project: \u201cFrom what I understand, they would need NASA coordination to do the movie, and supposedly Tom Cruise did not want to ask Donald Trump for a favor. You\u2019d need permission from the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom Cruise has been aiming to shoot a film in outer space. Todd Owyoung\/NBC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Cruise is known for his death-defying film stunts. \u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n The source added, \u201cTom didn\u2019t want to ask for political reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n Cruise has stayed largely apolitical over the years, and the source said he did not want to alienate fans by starting now. The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Cruise turned down a recent 2025 Kennedy Center honor from Trump<\/a>, citing \u201cscheduling conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n A Trump-appointed NASA head previously expressed support for the Cruise space project<\/a>, even indicating via tweet it could shoot on the International Space Station.<\/p>\n The star was allegedly reluctant to ask Donald Trump for a favor to help get the movie off the ground. AP<\/p>\n Trump recently revived the \u201cRush Hour\u201d franchise at Paramount for Brett Ratner. AP<\/p>\n But the NASA official and the tweet are long gone, and space insiders tell Page Six there have never been any further discussions inside the space agency about the film.<\/p>\n Trump-appointed NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed the project would involve the ISS at the time of Deadline\u2019s initial report, tweeting, \u201cNASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA\u2019s ambitious plans a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n Bridenstine\u2019s tweet has been deleted, and the onetime GOP Oklahoma congressman is now a consultant for firms like Voyager Space Holdings. (But his previous plans at NASA had ambitions fit for Hollywood: In 2016, he said Mars should be NASA\u2019s \u201cmain human spaceflight priority,\u201d as well as, \u201ccommercializing low Earth orbit endeavors, including the creation of a pilot program for commercial habitats.\u201d)<\/p>\n Cruise would be reteaming with director Doug Liman for the space project. Getty Images<\/p>\n Liman (right) has directed Cruise in films including \u201cEdge of Tomorrow.\u201d WireImage<\/p>\n Universal was reportedly interested<\/a> in boarding Cruise\u2019s space project. But logistics for the shoot-for-the-moon movie seemed tricky at best, as it was unclear if Cruise, 63, and company could even get insured for a a space-set feature. <\/p>\n The star is known for being in great shape and doing his own death-defying stunts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Page Six also heard rumors that the space film hit a snag when Liman failed a physical to launch. But another source said that Liman, 60, is in great shape. <\/p>\n The star is juggling a busy schedule for 2026. \u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n Cruise reportedly turned down a Kennedy Center award from Trump due to scheduling conflicts. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n SpaceX \u2014 headed by Trump booster-turned-enemy Elon Musk \u2014 has never commented on being involved in the project. The company\u2019s launches are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.<\/p>\n Reps for Cruise, as well as NASA, did not comment.<\/p>\n Then again, the film wasn\u2019t exactly imminent as Liman and Cruise have been tied up with other projects, Deadline reported.<\/p>\n Liman launched his career with the \u201990s cult classic \u201cSwingers.\u201d WireImage<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted about the project, but has since left the space agency. Getty Images<\/p>\n Liman told the outlet of the space movie<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m more excited about going to space, not less\u2026 but our goal is to make something great. A lot of people are trying to do gimmicky things like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s in space.\u2019 I\u2019m not interested in doing something that\u2019s a just promotional gimmick. I want to make a film that people watch in a hundred years when maybe there\u2019s hundreds of movies shot in outer space and there\u2019s nothing special about it being in outer space. That\u2019s the goal of everything I do.\u201d<\/p>\n Cruise released his latest\u00a0\u201cMission: Impossible\u201d<\/a>\u00a0movie, \u201cThe Final Reckoning,\u201d earlier this year, and is working on several projects for 2026.<\/p>\n Three weeks ago, Trump reportedly took a dig<\/a> at Cruise\u2019s height at the McDonald\u2019s Impact Summit by saying of the bomber pilots who attacked Iran\u2019s enrichment facilities: \u201cThey looked like Tom Cruise. They really do,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a wise guy and say \u2018But taller.\u2019 I\u2019m not gonna say that. No.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cMinority Report\u201d starred in \u201cMission: Impossible \u2013 The Final Reckoning\u201d earlier this year. CBS via Getty Images<\/p>\n In a surreal twist, Trump\u2019s approval has become a vehicle to greenlight films in Hollywood.<\/p>\n The prez reportedly pushed his billionaire buddy Larry Ellison to revive Brett Ratner\u2019s \u201cRush Hour\u201d franchise starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. (The movie will reportedly be distributed by Paramount, headed by the tech moguls\u2019 son, David Ellison, who was in the hunt to buy the movie series\u2019 license holder Warner Bros. Discovery<\/a>.)<\/p>\n