Sometimes we talk about film development in terms of years, as it sometimes takes a filmmaker a long time to get a project off the ground. However, in the case of Tom Cruise and his upcoming space movie, it only takes a matter of weeks, apparently.
READ MORE: Doug Liman To Direct Tom Cruise’s Action Movie Filmed In Space
According to Variety, the Tom Cruise film that will be shot in space (for real) and was only announced in May, is said to be in negotiations with Universal for financing and distribution. Of course, this is no normal film production and, as such, it’s not a normal negotiation.
The film is said to be directed by Cruise collaborator Doug Liman and will find the actor shooting most of the feature outside of Earth’s atmosphere in the International Space Station, with the full cooperation of Elon Musk’s Space X and NASA. But you see, according to the report, that’s just one of the issues that could be a stumbling block for negotiations.
Being the first film to be shot off Earth, there are a couple of major issues. The first is the budget, which is reportedly sitting at $200 million on the low-end (the report claims this is an “optimistic” number). Cruise is said to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million to $60 million after everything is all said and done for the feature. The second issue has nothing to do with budget and/or the plot of the film but is all about logistics. Unfortunately for Cruise and Universal, it might be difficult to find a company willing to offer insurance on the production, considering most of it will be shot off-planet.
But hey, the upside could be huge, if the deal is made. Cruise has been making a name for himself over the past couple of decades for putting his body at risk for amazing stunts in action films. And there really hasn’t ever been a film quite like what he and Liman are cooking up. So, if they’re successful, this could be a major financial boost for the studio, with people curious to see what a film shot in space might look like.
Of course, there’s also the chance that the budget and costs associated with the production could cripple any chance at a large monetary windfall for everyone involved. But, let’s be optimistic today, huh? This is going to be HUGE.