Tom Cruise Is Dead Serious About a Les Grossman Movie, Says Christopher McQuarrie — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant

6 days ago

Tom Cruise isn't done with Les Grossman. Not by a long shot.
The unhinged Hollywood exec Cruise brought to life in Tropic Thunder might actually be getting his own movie. Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he and Cruise are having very real, very serious conversations about it.
'The conversations we've had about Les Grossman are so fucking funny. [Cruise and I are] talking about it, we're having very serious conversations about it, and how best to do it. It ultimately comes down to what that character is.'
Grossman is a raging, foul-mouthed, and shockingly agile studio executive best remembered for his hairy arms, big hands, and dance moves that burned themselves into your memory. Cruise's unexpected transformation into Grossman was pure chaos in the best way, and fans have wanted more ever since.
According to McQuarrie, riffing on the character has become a kind of therapeutic outlet during the high-stress shoot for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning . He and Cruise would sit down for meals and just let Grossman take over.
'We don't even think about the structure, we play with scenes. Just to be sitting at a breakfast table, not talking about the movie we're making for a minute, is such decompression.
'And just riffing with Tom playing Les Grossman at the table, it was one of the real joys of making this movie. It was all the stuff we were doing, planning the future while slugging out the present.'
It's clear there's passion behind the idea, not just as a goofy side project, but something Cruise is taking seriously. The only question now is what a full-length Les Grossman film would actually be. A satire of the modern studio system? A full-blown absurdist comedy? Either way, the enthusiasm and excitement is there.
Cruise already stole scenes with the character once. If this thing actually moves forward, he will steal the whole show.