(Image credit: Paramount)
Tom Cruise may need to hold his breath a little longer as his anticipated film, Deeper, featuring Ana de Armas, faces unexpected hurdles. Recent reports indicate that Warner Bros. has stopped development due to financial disagreements, causing the project’s future to hang in the balance.
According to Puck, Cruise has been negotiating a hefty $275 million production budget, but the studio prefers to cap it at $230 million. This has left Cruise searching for a more accommodating partner. While the situation forces Cruise to look beyond the stars for support, Warner Bros.’s considerable preparatory efforts may go underutilized.
The film, under the direction of Doug Liman, showcases Cruise as a disgraced astronaut on a daring deep-sea adventure to explore an uncharted oceanic trench, with de Armas at his side. Their mission takes a chilling turn as they encounter a long-hidden threat lurking below.
In light of these developments, Cruise has reportedly reached out to Universal, which might potentially rescue the project. Universal seems willing to meet Cruise’s demands, aiming to proceed as soon as possible to commence filming, initially planned for this summer.
This setback is understandably worrying for Cruise, marking his first non-franchise project since 2017’s American Made. Visibility and profitability concerns loom, especially after Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning generated $566.8 million, against its nearly $400 million budget. While Warner Bros. hesitates to invest in non-franchise ventures, Universal might just deliver the support needed for Cruise to dive Deeper.
With fingers crossed, fans are eager for Universal to step up and keep Cruise’s underwater escapade afloat. In the meantime, why not enjoy our ranking of Tom Cruise’s top films to fulfill your cinematic cravings?