Those who keep overstating Tom Cruise’s chances at a major comeback thanks to his fun little cameo in “Tropic Thunder” take note: he’s been replaced in a major motion spy thriller by a friggin’ girl (and seriously people, it’s a delicious little turn in ‘Thunder,’ but major comeback? keep your pants on).
Cruise was originally tapped to play the eponymous “Edwin A. Salt,”about a CIA officer who must prove he is not a Russian sleeper spy out to assassinate the president. Well that he is now a she and Mrs. Brad Pitt, aka Angelina Jolie has stepped into the role and the script is currently be retweaked to fit her feminine needs. Forget comeback, this has to be seen as a blow to Cruise’s bankability that has been in question for months now; and don’t think all of Hollywood hasn’t seen “Tropic Thunder,” two months ago either. And with Cruise’s “Valkyrie” already dumped from Oscar season off into dead-of-winter February/ nobody-cares season, this can only be seen as more insult to injury.
The script for Salt has been floating around for months. It’ll be interesting to read the original (which we’ll do soon) and picture how it might work with Jolie. Phillip Noyce (of CIA-fare like “Clear and Present Danger,” and “Patriot Games”) is still attached to direct.
However, make note. Cruise is now loosely attached to “Food Fight,” a warm-hearted comedy about a “snooty New York chef who is forced to cook meals at a school cafeteria.” Isn’t this supposed to be a role Jack Black would have taken 5-6 years ago? Maybe Cruise’s people think they need to redirect his career now that four people have gone a little stir-crazy about his amusing, fat-suit guy “Tropic Thunder” role. Yes, it is the most engaging and fun thing he’s done since playing the uber-misogynistic Frank T.J “respect the cock” Mackey in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia,” but walk in single file people, there’s no Oscar in store or anything.