Cruise was set to star in a new film from Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the four-time Oscar-winning writer and director behind Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In addition to Cruise, the cast of the currently untitled movie includes Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, Emma D'Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg, and John Goodman.

Now, during an interview with Deadline, Iñárritu teased his new movie with Tom Cruise. The director revealed that Cruise is completely leaving stunts behind, saying, "It's nothing of that." He also called the movie a "wild comedy of catastrophic proportions" and said that Cruise is very funny in it, showing off his "unprecedented" range as an actor. Read Iñárritu's full comments below:

The only thing I will tell you, and don’t tell anybody, is that it’s nothing of that. I’m so excited. It was an incredible experience with Tom, Sandra Huller, Jesse Plemmons, with Riz Ahmed, but it’s a character driven film mounted on the shoulders of Tom which I knew he was exactly the right person.

The thing that I can tell you. This is a wild comedy of catastrophic proportions. It’s insane. He makes me laugh every day. The range that I discovered working with Tom is unprecedented for me as a director. I was so fucking impressed and happy.

He gives himself. He has an incredible sense of ion. It’s a brutal comedy. It’s a wild comedy of human nature. It’s scary and funny. It’s beautiful. I will start editing next week.

It was a very challenging film, you will see. It’s many borders of many things. Every film challenges me. I don’t like doing things that I’ve done already. This is something that we’ve never done and it’s exciting as well.

What This Means For Tom Cruise's New Movie

He's Entering A New Chapter Of His Career

Tom Cruise's new movie from Alejandro G. Iñárritu is part of the actor's new strategic partnership with Warner Bros., which was announced in January 2024 and will reportedly see him returning to working with auteur directors. In turn, it makes sense that Cruise's new movie from Iñárritu will leave stunts behind, which have defined the latter part of his career in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Cruise seems to be returning to dramas, which defined the earlier part of his career, with roles in Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and more.

However, Iñárritu's comments reveal that his new movie with Cruise is very much a comedy, calling it everything from a "brutal comedy" to a "wild comedy of human nature." Cruise hasn't done much comedy throughout his career, though when he has, it's been memorable, including his unrecognizable turn as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Judging by Iñárritu's comments, Cruise's performance could be something similar to his darkly comedic turn in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, which was the last time he received an Oscar nomination for acting.

Our Take On Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Comments

His Collaboration With Tom Cruise Is Exciting

Cruise and Iñárritu's new movie is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting collaboration. Not only does it represent a new chapter in Cruise's career after seemingly his last Mission: Impossible movie, but it also represents Iñárritu's first English-language film since The Revenant in 2015, which was nominated for 12 Oscars, won three, and made over $500 million at the box office. With perhaps an even bigger star in Tom Cruise, Iñárritu's new movie could be destined for even greater things.

Cruise and Iñárritu's movie is scheduled for release on October 2, 2026.

Source: Deadline