Tom Cruise to take pay cut to make Mission Impossible 4
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
A lot is being made today over reports that Tom Cruise is taking a huge upfront pay cut in order to bring MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 to the big screen. Cruise will probably still get a significant chunk of the backend profits, but he waived his usual $20 million fee. Also, Paramount is co-financing the film, which means they’re trying to hedge their bets as far as losses go. The haters still pounce on Cruise at every turn and I’ve already voiced my defense of Cruise, but I don’t see this pay cut as a sign of anything. This is a smart move for Tom Cruise, just like Jim Carrey sacrificing upfront pay on YES, MAN proved to be a smart move for him.
What this tells me is that MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 is going to be great. Tom Cruise has stayed around as long as he has because he can pick great scripts. That’s really what separates him from his peers. So if he believes whole heartedly that M:I4 is a hit, I believe him. I also love that Brad Bird is still attached through all of this. Bird has a few great movies of his own, so his judgment shouldn’t be questioned either.
Source: NY Mag
[fbcomments]