Around this time last year, Deadline reported that Tom Cruise was looking to reprise what is perhaps his greatest role — the scene-stealing studio executive Les Grossman featured in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder; which he apparently improvised with a can of Diet Coke — in the wake of both Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise’s (potential) two-part finale.
The prolific entertainment publication indicated that the world’s biggest movie star and longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, director of every Mission: Impossible instalment since Rogue Nation, were in the early stages of setting up “three very different projects“:
- “One is an original song and dance-style musical they’ll craft as a star vehicle for Cruise.”
- “They are also setting up another original action film with franchise potential.” — possibly related to the rumoured voyage to space with Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow); which McQuarrie is also producing.
- “And they are also fixated on Les Grossman.”
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At Sydney’s red carpet premiere of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (Part One), BH received exclusive confirmation that something within the realm of a Tropic Thunder spin-off is indeed in the works.
“Nothing,” the man behind Ethan Hunt said with a grin when prompted about whether he could shed any light on the matter before letting out a tell-tale laugh.
“We’re working on it.”
The day prior, during our sit-down interview with Christopher McQuarrie, the seasoned filmmaker was similarly tight-lipped, offering an incredibly evasive answer before letting out his own tell-tale laugh.
“Can you tell us anything about it?”
“Uh… no [chuckles.],” answered McQuarrie before we moved on.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Tropic Thunder spin-off carrot was dangled.
Over a decade ago, shortly after Tom Cruise fat-suited up for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, Paramount and MTV Films announced such a project was in active development with a screenplay being penned by Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Project X, 21 Jump Street).
“Les Grossman’s life story is an inspiring tale of the human class struggle to achieve greatness against all odds,” expressed Tropic Thunder co-star and director Ben Stiller, who was set to produce the Grossman flick.
“He has assured me he plans to quote, ‘Fucking kill the shit out of this movie and make Citizen fucking Kane look like a piece of crap home movie by the time we are done.’ I am honoured to be working with him.”
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“Everything I learned in this business, I’ve learned from Les,” added Paramount Film Group President Adam Goodman.
“I started out as his assistant, and from the first day he threw his desk at me when I got his lunch order wrong, I have loved him like a father.”
A Paramount press release also included a “statement” from Tom Cruise as Les Grossman after being prompted about what the Tropic Thunder spin-off screenplay would actually entail:
“To quote my great friend Kirk Lazarus [portrayed by Robert Downey Jr], `I don’t read the script, the script reads me.’”
Of course, years have passed and we’ve yet to see anything concrete. Will this project ever see the light of day? Who knows. But the world once said the very same thing about a Top Gun sequel. And now look at us.
Stay tuned for updates on the Tropic Thunder spin-off starring Tom Cruise as Les Grossman here.
