tom cruise in cinema

All 44 of Tom Cruise’s movies, ranked

This article was published more than 6 months ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire (1996). Columbia TriStar via The Associated Press

“He is uniquely trained and highly motivated – a specialist without equal – immune to any countermeasures. ... He is the living manifestation of destiny.”

Those words belong to Alec Baldwin’s CIA honcho in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , describing the superspy Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise. But Baldwin might as well just be describing Cruise himself, a pure force of will who has elevated (almost) every movie he has been involved with. After spending the past half-year diving into the star’s filmography, here is my mission report. Presenting all 44 Tom Cruise movies , ranked from worst to best.

Meet Christopher McQuarrie, wingman to Tom Cruise’s death-defying maverick

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Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018). David James/The Associated Press

44. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016): Good advice, someone should’ve heeded it.

43. Rock of Ages (2012): Puke-box musical.

42. The Mummy (2017): Denial ain’t just a franchise in Egypt.

41. Endless Love (1981): Barely a pipsqueak, Cruise’s first role is just plain squeaky.

40. Losin’ It (1983): A charmless thing starring a man of pure charm, fancy that.

39. Interview with the Vampire (1994): Dead, and not loving it.

38. The Last Samurai (2003): The Last White Saviour movie to likely get such a high budget.

37. Lions For Lambs (2007): Faux-political drama operating on slaughter-house rules.

36. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000): To John Woo, thanks for nothing.

35. All the Right Moves (1983): Perhaps Jerry Maguire could help Cruise’s NFL wannabe. Perhaps not.

34. Far and Away (1992): Ron Howard must be, but so far hasn’t been, stopped.

33. Knight and Day (2010): Right repairing with Vanilla Sky ’s Cameron Diaz, but the wrong movie.

32. Oblivion (2013): Sterile sci-fi, but it introduces Cruise to Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski.

31. Legend (1985): Tawdry make-believe that imagines a better movie just beyond its grasp.

30. Cocktail (1988): The martini glass is half-empty. But points for Kokomo – and Toronto.

29. Valkyrie (2008): Once you adapt to his accent-less Nazi turncoat, it sorta clicks.

28. Jack Reacher (2012): Just a few inches short of a tight thriller.

27. Taps (1981): Cruise’s determination codified, if not yet quite personified.

26. The Outsiders (1983): Rare ensemble work that toughs it out.

25. Vanilla Sky (2001): Cameron Crowe and Cruise follow Jerry Maguire with a vision too heavy for even the sturdiest of eight-pound heads.

24. Tropic Thunder (2008): Timeless performance in film otherwise composed of ancient cultural artifacts.

23. The Color of Money (1986): True grit from Cruise, Paul Newman and Martin Scorsese, three of our finest hustlers.

22. Days of Thunder (1990): Inseparable from Top Gun , cementing Cruise as our Golden Boy.

21. Top Gun (1986): Ridiculous beefy silliness that breaks the sound barrier.

20. The Firm (1993): The true origins of Cruise’s running-man shtick.

19. Mission: Impossible (1996): RIP Emilio Estevez’s character, but long live Cruise’s Ethan Hunt.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). The Canadian Press

18. War of the Worlds (2005): Apocalyptic parenting par excellence.

17. Mission: Impossible III (2006): The resuscitation of a megafranchise, bigger and louder and Alias -er.

16. American Made (2017): All smiles, sweat and sex, delightfully absent any moral centre.

15. Rain Man (1988): No one plays the jerk-who-comes-round better.

14. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015): In Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise finds his kindred collaborator/enabler.

13. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011): Jeremy Renner could never.

12. Edge of Tomorrow (2014): Live, die, repeatedly watch this all-killer-no-filler Groundhog Day riff.

11. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023): No movie is worth dying for, but then again ...

10. Collateral (2004): The rare villainous turn, slicked to the nines with devilish dark-night-of-the-soul fun.

9. Born on the Fourth of July (1989): The war movie no one expected from Cruise, but the war movie he had to make.

8. Magnolia (1999): In this life, it’s not what you hope for, it’s not what you deserve – it’s what you take.

Tom Cruise and Samantha Morton in Minority Report (2002). Handout

7. A Few Good Men (1992): In which Cruise gives us the god’s honest truth, 100 per cent.

6. Risky Business (1983): Sunglasses at night, old time rock-’n’-roll charm during the day.

5. Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Revelatory work that shatters celebrity perception.

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Paramount Pictures/Paramount Pictures

4. Minority Report (2002): Steven Spielberg’s finest sci-fi fantasia and Cruise’s top fugitive fantasy.

3. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018): In which Cruise becomes immortal.

2. Jerry Maguire (1996): It’s had us at hello for a quarter-century now.

1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022): The hero American cinema needs, the hero the world deserves.

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All 44 Tom Cruise movies, ranked from worst to best

• Tom Cruise has done every type of movie you can think of over his nearly 40-year career.
• Here we rank every one from worst to best.
• See where his latest, "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One," ranks in his career filmography.

43. "Rock of Ages" (2012)

Somehow Cruise got roped into being part of this feature-film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. But leave it to him to lay it all out there.

Though the movie is unwatchable, Cruise provides its only memorable moments when his rock-star character belts out classic songs like "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Wanted Dead or Alive."

42. "Endless Love" (1981)

Cruise's first appearance in a movie is this 1980s teen romance drama starring Brooke Shields that's best known for giving us the Diana Ross/Lionel Richie title song.

Cruise gets a brief bit of screen time as one of the male lead's friends. It's quite forgettable, but it's still better than "Rock of Ages."

41. "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (2016)

Between "Mission: Impossible" movies, Cruise tried to kick off another action franchise by bringing the main character of the Lee Child novel series to the big screen.

Though the first movie just got over the $200 million mark at the worldwide box office, the performance (or lack thereof) by the sequel indicated no one wanted any more Mr. Reacher. It barely made $162 million worldwide.

40. "The Mummy" (2017)

Cruise was all set to be the Robert Downey Jr. of Universal's Dark Universe with the release of this movie and promises of more creature pictures to come. But playing a soldier of fortune who tries to stop an ancient Egyptian princess from taking over the world didn't grab audiences. It was another franchise not meant to be.

39. "Losin' It" (1983)

Still getting his legs under him in the movie biz, Cruise signed onto this teen comedy in which he's one of four friends who go on a hard-partying road trip to Tijuana in hopes of losing their virginity. Yes, even Cruise couldn't hide from the teen-sex-comedy genre when he started his career.

38. "Mission: Impossible II" (2000)

Man, John Woo deserved better than this. The legendary Hong Kong director took over the "Mission: Impossible" reins after Brian De Palma kicked things off with the first movie, but Woo didn't find the same success.

"Mission: Impossible II" did go on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2000, with over $546 million earned worldwide, but with its weak plot and character development, it has not aged anywhere near as well as the first movie (or the other movies in the franchise).

37. "Jack Reacher" (2012)

Though "Jack Reacher" was the first time Cruise worked with his longtime "Mission: Impossible" director, Christopher McQuarrie, and it features the legendary director Werner Herzog as the movie's villain, Cruise as Jack Reacher is a seen-it-before character who isn't exciting.

36. "Oblivion" (2013)

Here, Cruise attempted to go the sci-fi route in hopes of having a breakthrough "Minority Report"-like experience for the audience. But the story was nowhere as sharp, and its postapocalyptic vibe left us all feeling uninterested.

35. "Lions for Lambs" (2007)

Marking the first movie released by United Artists after Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner took over (the two left UA after a couple of years) was "Lions for Lambs," a tense drama set around the war in Afghanistan and directed by Robert Redford.

Cruise gave his all playing an agenda-pushing senator and has some strong scenes opposite Meryl Streep. But the movie is just dull.

34. "Far and Away" (1992)

Cruise and his wife at the time, Nicole Kidman, paired together in this 1890s-set epic directed by Ron Howard. The two play Irish immigrants seeking a fortune in America. Outside the lush photography, there isn't much to enjoy about this movie. And don't get me started on Cruise's awful Irish accent.

33. "Vanilla Sky" (2001)

At the tail end of Cruise's heartthrob phase, the director Cameron Crowe teamed with him again after their hugely successful collaboration on "Jerry Maguire" to make a very different love story.

Based on the Spanish movie "Open Your Eyes," Cruise plays a vain New York City media playboy who has a different outlook on life after being in a horrific car crash. Though Cruise, Cameron Diaz, and Penélope Cruz (who also starred in "Open Your Eyes") all give top performances, Crowe goes too weird with the story, leaving viewers out in the void by the time the movie gets into the home stretch.

32. "American Made" (2017)

Mixing action and dark comedy in telling the real-life story of the drug runner Barry Seal seemed like a nice pivot for Cruise, but at the end of the day, the director Doug Liman's movie is just too glossy to be taken seriously. (Accent update: Cruise delivers a tolerable Southern drawl.)

31. "The Last Samurai" (2003)

Cruise stars as an American soldier in 19th-century Japan who embraces the samurai culture. The movie went on to receive four Oscar nominations, but it's the kind of title in which one viewing is enough.

And on a side note: Wow, would this movie get hammered on social media if it came out today.

30. "Valkyrie" (2008)

Another release from the time Cruise was calling the shots at UA, "Valkyrie" sees him playing one of the rogue Nazi officers who attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

(Accent update: Cruise — and basically most of the other Nazi officers — decided to not even bother with a German accent. Good choice; the audience didn't even notice [ holds back giggles ].)

29. "Cocktail" (1988)

It's one of the movies in Cruise's career that ride fully on his good looks. Honestly, this movie should have just been titled "Sex." Cruise plays a hot New York City bartender who has dreams of making it big, and it's his hotness that's going to get him to the top. It's classic Hot Guy Cruise — who cares that the story is garbage.

28. "War of the Worlds" (2005)

Steven Spielberg teamed up with Cruise after "Minority Report" for this blockbuster remake of the classic sci-fi movie. Though it made a lot of money, it was dark in tone — maybe a little too dark. Be honest: Have you wanted to see this movie again?

27. "Knight and Day" (2010)

This is one of those movies that don't get enough credit. The director James Mangold cleverly takes all the common action-hero traits and has Cruise make fun of them. You might want to give this one another viewing.

26. "Taps" (1981)

Unlike in "Endless Love," Cruise really capitalized on this small role. As a military cadet who takes his responsibilities way too seriously, Cruise is a standout in the movie and showed audiences (and Hollywood executives) that he had leading-man potential.

25. "Mission: Impossible III" (2006)

J.J. Abrams takes over the franchise for this one and does an impressive job. It also helps that you have the talents of Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the villain. It's better than "Mission: Impossible II," so we're going in the right direction.

24. "The Outsiders" (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the classic novel brought all the biggest names from young Hollywood together, and Cruise was right there in the mix. With Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Emilio Estevez, and Rob Lowe, the movie is pretty heavy-handed with the drama, but it's fun to watch all these amazing talents on the screen together.

23. "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" (2015)

Rebounding from the so-so performance of "Jack Reacher," McQuarrie jumps on the "Mission: Impossible" franchise and ups the action stakes. Yep, this is the one where Cruise hangs from the side of a giant plane taking off. The movie also got an extra jolt with the inclusion of Rebecca Ferguson in the supporting cast.

22. "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" (2018)

This "Mission: Impossible" could go down as one of the best action movies ever — its stunts and action sequences are that amazing. This time, McQuarrie gives us a deeper look at what makes Ethan Hunt tick and the values he lives by. But it's really the action that stays with you.

21. "Minority Report" (2002)

With its breakthroughs in CGI and tech, the first teaming of Spielberg and Cruise lived up to the hype. This movie was so advanced in its execution and what it showcased that it had a "Jurassic Park"-style ripple effect, in the sense that it has influenced countless action and sci-fi movies since.

20. "Tropic Thunder" (2008)

Though Cruise doesn't have a lot of screen time, his presence in this movie cannot be ignored. Playing a despicable movie executive named Les Grossman, he brings that patented intensity to a role that for most actors would have been a mail-it-in cameo role. In Cruise's hands, it's one of the best comedic performances of the early 2000s.

19. "All the Right Moves" (1983)

Two months after Cruise hit theaters with his first lead movie, "Risky Business," he was back again with this very different movie about a Pennsylvania high-school football player who clashes with his coach.

"Risky Business" showed that Cruise had no problem being the face of a movie, but "All the Right Moves" proved he could be more than the charming lead with good looks. This one showed he could be a serious actor.

18. "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" (2011)

It's the movie that breathed life back into the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. It came five years after "Mission: Impossible III," and in that time Cruise struggled with an image problem and a string of underperforming movies. He had a lot to prove with this one. And with the casting of Jeremy Renner, Cruise probably sensed he could lose his beloved franchise if the movie didn't work.

However, Brad Bird's direction and Cruise's disregard for common sense — in this one he climbs the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai — put him back on top, as the movie became a global hit.

17. "Top Gun" (1986)

Before "Days of Thunder," Cruise and Tony Scott teamed up for what would become one of the actor's most iconic roles: the fighter pilot Maverick. What Cruise doesn't pull off acting-wise he makes up for with brooding looks and shirtless volleyball skills.

16. "The Firm" (1993)

In "The Firm," based on the best-selling John Grisham novel, Cruise gives a fantastic performance as a hotshot lawyer who signs on with one of the most prestigious US law firms only to find it has quite a dark side. The era of "Tom Cruise runs" really launched with this movie.

15. "Legend" (1985)

Ridley Scott's beautiful fantasy movie is still a marvel of moviemaking. The practical effects and production design put into this movie, made back when CGI was scarce, are a treasure. And at the center is a fresh-faced Cruise who tries to get his girl back from the villain who gave me the most nightmares as a kid, Darkness (played perfectly by Tim Curry).

14. "Collateral" (2004)

We really don't talk enough about this one enough. Michael Mann's slow-burn crime movie stars Cruise as a hitman who forces a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around Los Angeles as he goes on his "jobs." The acting by both Cruise and Foxx in this movie is some of their best work.

13. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023)

There are many things to love about the "Mission: Impossible" franchise: Its James Bond-like gadgets. Cruise's disregard for his life and safety when it comes to pulling off amazing stunts . But the biggest thing to love is that the films just seem to get better and better.

The first "M:I," directed by Brian De Palma, set the bar very high. However, since McQuarrie took the reins in 2015 with "Rogue Nation," the franchise has gotten a jolt in the arm. It seems to always outdo itself, and "Dead Reckoning" makes good on that promise.

The high stakes, the timely villain being AI, and, of course, Tom Cruise in the middle of some amazing thrills makes this film one of the best in the franchise.

13. "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)

Cruise and Kidman teamed up again, this time under the watch of Stanley Kubrick in what would be his final movie. Both actors are pushed to the limits as the movie explores a marriage at a crossroads. Though "Eyes Wide Shut" is not close to Kubrick's best work, Cruise and Kidman are riveting.

12. "Top Gun: Maverick" (2022)

Thirty-six years after playing Pete "Maverick" Mitchell he returns to the role in the rare legacy sequel that's better than the original movie.

Though Tony Scott's landmark "Top Gun" made Cruise a superstar and became an instant 1980s classic, the director Joseph Kosinski has elevated the story with more death-defying dogfight jet stunts and a more compelling story.

This time Maverick returns to the Top Gun school to be a teacher of the new hot-shot pilots. But he must deal with his own demons as one of the students is the son of his best friend, Goose, who died in his arms in the first movie.

Cruise delivers one of his best performances in years.

11. "Days of Thunder" (1990)

It's pretty much everything you would think would be in a Tony Scott movie: lots of fast cars and big egos. Cruise is in his glory in every scene playing the hot-shot Nascar driver Cole Trickle (and Kidman appears as his love interest).

10. "Risky Business" (1983)

It's the movie that made Cruise a star. The coming-of-age story doesn't shy away from its mature storyline, and Cruise delivers a playful performance but also shows sparks of his dramatic chops that he'll showcase in the decade to come.

9. "Mission: Impossible" (1996)

Boy have things changed since the first "Mission: Impossible." With De Palma at the helm, the movie had its action, but it was encased in a tense whodunit thriller. Since then the action has only gotten bigger (and the story, well, less of a concern), but Cruise has always been fantastic as Hunt.

The first movie is his best acting work of the franchise. (Accent update: Cruise delivers another Southern accent while disguised at the beginning of the movie — one of those classic face-rip-off disguises. It's brief but effective in the scene.)

8. "Interview with the Vampire" (1994)

Cruise gives one of his best performances as Lestat, a vampire from the 1700s who finds a lot of drama in his undead life once he recruits Louis (Brad Pitt). (Accent update: His little hint of a French accent to stay true to the character's portrayal in the classic Anne Rice book is perfectly subtle.)

7. "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014)

Whether you want to call it "Edge of Tomorrow" or "Live. Die. Repeat.," it's just a really great action movie. With Liman directing and McQuarrie as a screenwriter, Cruise is surrounded by people he trusts to make a risky project: a soldier who relives the same day. But the MVP of the movie is Emily Blunt, who delivers a performance that makes Cruise kick it up a few notches.

6. "Rain Man" (1988)

Always at his best when he's playing a character with major conflict, Cruise plays a guy always looking to capitalize on the angles until he's finally in a situation in which he has to be on the level: building a relationship with his autistic savant brother (Dustin Hoffman).

5. "Jerry Maguire" (1996)

Receiving a best-actor nomination for his performance as a slick sports agent whose life turns upside down after having a moment of clarity, Cruise was, thanks to this movie, at his height of stardom and power in Hollywood.

4. "A Few Good Men" (1992)

Rob Reiner's courtroom drama has Cruise going up against Jack Nicholson, and it's pure magic. Yes, there's the "can't handle the truth" scene, but for us, it starts earlier in the movie when the two characters meet for the first time.

Thanks to the incredible dialogue by Aaron Sorkin, both actors subtly trade off with each other, but it's the fire being held back that makes the ending when they are face-to-face again so memorable.

3. "Magnolia" (1999)

No matter what you think of Paul Thomas Anderson's epic look at family, love, and forgiveness, it's hard to dispute that it has the most powerful performance of Cruise's career.

Playing a pickup artist who uses his talents to build a public-speaking career, Cruise appears as we've never seen him before. Anderson and Cruise connected over dealing with the loss of their fathers and use that darkness to create the character of Frank T. J. Mackey.

2. "The Color of Money" (1986)

Paul Newman won only one Oscar in his iconic career, and it was for this movie. But you have to give a big assist to Cruise.

Playing the protégé to the pool player "Fast Eddie" Felson — the role Newman first played in 1961's "The Hustler" — Cruise is a cocky player, and you can never tell whether he's on the level with Felson. Cruise proved once again that he's more than just a pretty face.

1. "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989)

Cruise got an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the veteran and activist Ron Kovic, who was paralyzed fighting in Vietnam. Oliver Stone traces Kovic's journey from being a wide-eyed soldier thinking he's doing what's right for America to coming home from the war to find everything has changed. Including the way he views his own country.

Cruise has never been better as he delivers a tour de force performance that still gives us chills.

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The Best Tom Cruise Movies Ranked: Where to Stream the Actor's 30 Greatest Films

Ghezal Amiri

Official JustWatch writer

Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s most successful actors, known for his daredevil commitment to performing his own stunts in some of the top action movies of all time. He has worked continuously in films since the early 80s, earning his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Risky Business . If you want to stream the best Tom Cruise movies online, you can check out this complete streaming guide.

Tom Cruise's best movies: From Top Gun to Mission Impossible

Cruise’s most iconic role is arguably Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in Top Gun , which was the highest grossing film of 1986 and took Cruise's fame to new heights. The movie was followed up with a sequel, Top Gun: Maverick,  nearly forty years later – which became Tom Cruise's highest grossing film with $1.4 billion at the box office.

Aside from his role as Maverick, Tom Cruise also stars as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series. The first film,  Mission: Impossible , premiered in 1996 and the franchise is still ongoing with the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Released in 2023, the movie was the first part of a two-act finale which will come to an end with Mission Impossible 8 .

Tom Cruise may be world-famous for his action movie franchises, but he also has plenty of dramatic roles in his filmography – having worked with directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe. He is a four time Academy Award nominee, twice for Best Actor in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire ; once for Best Supporting Actor in Magnolia ; and once for Best Picture for Top Gun: Maverick . He also has an Honorary Palme d’Or, the highest honor at Cannes Film Festival, and was awarded three Golden Globe Awards which he later returned to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in May 2021 due to their lack of diversity and various other controversies.

Where can I watch Tom Cruise's best movies online?

You can use JustWatch's streaming guide to find out where all of Tom Cruise's best movies are available in the United States. From his iconic franchises like Top Gun and Mission Impossible to his performances in dramas like Jerry Maguire, you'll find all the streaming details below.

For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.

Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he's really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell, an egomaniacal football player.

An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

A Few Good Men

When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.

Top Gun: Maverick

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell finds himself training a detachment of TOP GUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating 'The Syndicate', an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.

Born on the Fourth of July

Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, Ron Kovic becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.

Risky Business

Meet Joel Goodson, an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.

When car dealer Charlie Babbitt learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has a savant older brother named Raymond and that his father's $3 million fortune is being left to the mental institution in which Raymond lives. Motivated by his father's money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility in order to return with him to Los Angeles. The brothers' cross-country trip ends up changing both their lives.

The Last Samurai

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

Jack Reacher

One morning in an ordinary town, five people are shot dead in a seemingly random attack. All evidence points to a single suspect: an ex-military sniper who is quickly brought into custody. The interrogation yields one written note: 'Get Jack Reacher!'. Reacher, an enigmatic ex-Army investigator, believes the authorities have the right man but agrees to help the sniper's defense attorney. However, the more Reacher delves into the case, the less clear-cut it appears. So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.

Mission: Impossible

When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.

Minority Report

John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Jack Reacher returns to the headquarters of his old unit, only to find out he's now accused of a 16-year-old homicide.

The Color of Money

Former pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent's showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.

Mission: Impossible III

Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, who is as cunning as he is ruthless. Davian emerges to threaten Hunt and all that he holds dear -- including the woman Hunt loves.

Jack Harper is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

War of the Worlds

An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.

Screen Rant

10 best tom cruise movies, ranked.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood's biggest stars. From comedies to action movies, the actor has done it all.

• Tom Cruise's extensive filmography includes some of Hollywood's most iconic movies, showcasing his versatility as an actor and his ability to tackle different genres and roles.
• Many of Cruise's movies are considered classics and rank among the best films ever made, thanks to their quality and Cruise's strong on-screen presence.
• Cruise's talent as both a dramatic and physically skilled actor is evident in movies like Rain Man , A Few Good Men , and the Mission: Impossible franchise, where he delivers powerful performances and defies the laws of physics in thrilling action sequences.

Known for his prolific filmography, Tom Cruise is one of the most recognizable actors worldwide, and his best movies include some of the most iconic that Hollywood has ever produced. Cruise has done it all, from teen sex comedies to neo-noir thrillers to high-octane action flicks, and many of his movies have been cemented as classics. Given the nature of the actor's screen presence and the commercial success of many of his projects, he has deservedly gone on to become one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors .

Although known primarily for his huge blockbusters in the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises, Cruise initially got his start in the slow-burn dramas Endless Love and Taps before breaking out with the more comedic Risky Business . Whereas some actors enjoyed massive success early in their careers before fading into obscurity, Cruise's star power has endured throughout many decades . Whether because of his acting chops or the movies' overall quality, many of the projects in Cruise's extensive body of work rank among some of the best films ever made.

Related: 1 Failed Tom Cruise Movie Franchise Proves His Star Power Better Than Top Gun & Mission Impossible

10 Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Tom cruise plays lestat de lioncourt, interview with the vampire.

Tom Cruise is primarily known for heroic roles, but Interview with the Vampire sees him play a villainous character, and despite the controversy over his casting, he absolutely nails the part. Based on the novel by Anne Rice, the movie focuses on an 18th-century vampire who tells his story to a modern-day reporter in order to make peace with his past. Cruise portrays Lestat, another, once-charming vampire who finds himself regretting his near-immortality after turning an innocent girl into one of their kind. The adaptation takes a uniquely sobering approach to vampirism , and its cinematography and set design are among the most convincing and immersive ever seen in a film.

Related: Interview With The Vampire's Controversial Tom Cruise Casting Explained By Director

9 Risky Business (1983)

Tom cruise plays joel goodsen, risky business.

Starring Tom Cruise when he was a relative newcomer, Risky Business sees the actor play an over-achieving high school student who is left home alone while his parents go on vacation. Risky Business made Cruise a star with one iconic scene where he jams out to the song "Old Time Rock and Roll." The lasting appeal of this moment speaks to its quality and impact as well as Cruise's suddenly clear magnetism. Risky Business is notable for its screenplay by Paul Brickman, who also directed the movie, as it perfectly showcases the challenges of a popular teenager whose parents and teachers constantly push him to be the best.

8 The Color Of Money (1986)

Tom cruise plays vincent lauria.

Directed by Martin Scorsese and adapted from the Walter Tevis novel of the same name, The Color of Money is a late sequel to the 1961 film The Hustler . Paul Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie, a pool hustler who recruits Cruise's character, Vincent, to help him swindle other players. The Color of Money is about greed and how it changes people, and the effects of Vincent and Fast Eddie's intense rivalry on their personal lives is a strong reinforcement of the theme. Released shortly after his blockbuster success with Top Gun , this is a cool, entertaining movie and an early showcase of Cruise's talent as a dramatic actor.

7 A Few Good Men (1992)

Tom cruise plays lt. daniel kaffee, a few good men.

A Few Good Men is a legal drama that stars Tom Cruise as a military lawyer defending two U.S. Marines charged with murder. One of the best movies based on a stage play , it marks the screenwriting debut of Aaron Sorkin, adapting his own work, and showcases some of the best dialogue ever written . At the movie's center is the theme of valor in the face of uncertainty, as Cruise's character bravely fights the case despite the seemingly infinite odds stacked against him. Cruise brings a certain intensity to his role, and his ability to rile up Jack Nicholson's Col. Jessep in the film's iconic courtroom scene also speaks volumes.

6 Rain Man (1983)

Tom cruise plays charlie babbitt.

Rain Man follows a heartwarming story about the power of family over financial worth and features a surprisingly nuanced take on the complex nature of brothers. Tom Cruise plays Charlie, a charming schemer obsessed with money who attempts to manipulate his way into his autistic older brother's good graces upon discovering their father cut him out of his will. A film about solidarity, compassion, and love, Rain Man successfully gets its messages across in a way that's heartfelt and believable .

Related: 10 Tom Cruise Movies That Still Need Sequels Made

5 Magnolia (1999)

Tom cruise plays frank t. j. mackey.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia tells a series of seemingly unrelated stories that follow the same themes of loss and regret. While the subject matter makes for challenging viewing, its reprieve comes in the form of its ability to make its drama compelling. Tom Cruise's usual charm and intensity are in full effect in the movie, but his heart-breaking scene with his father (played by Jason Robards) on his deathbed is one of the strongest performances the actor has ever delivered , and out of all the movie's different characters and storylines, his best reinforces the film's themes.

4 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Tom cruise plays imf agent ethan hunt, mission: impossible - dead reckoning.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One delivers tons of action , as is expected from the franchise. Mission: Impossible is famous for its stunts, and this installment is no different as it sees Tom Cruise's character — and the actor himself — again defying the laws of physics to accomplish his latest world-saving operation. This time, his character, IMF agent Ethan Hunt, works with his team of operatives to stop the influence of a powerful rogue AI. Despite the movie ending on a cliffhanger, it offers enough thrills to make it one of the best movie sequels ever made .

3 Edge Of Tomorrow (2014)

Tom cruise plays major william cage, edge of tomorrow.

Based on a manga, Edge of Tomorrow sees Tom Cruise as Major William Cage, a public relations officer with minimal combat experience who is forced by his superiors to aid in fighting an alien-occupied Europe in a dystopian future. Moreover, Cage dies and reboots repeatedly throughout the movie after discovering he's caught in a time loop. One of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s , Edge of Tomorrow offers a unique take on its source material with its intense action and sharp humor .

2 Collateral (2004)

Tom cruise plays vincent.

Michael Mann's Collateral is a neo-noir thriller that sees a burned-out taxi driver pick up a mysterious man who turns out to be a hired killer. As one of Michael Mann's most memorable characters , Cruise delivers an exceptional performance in the role of the hitman, Vincent, with his usual charisma making the assassin all the more threatening. He also has excellent chemistry with Jamie Foxx, who plays the driver, Max; together, they almost make viewers forget that they're actors during some of their more intense scenes in the movie. Collateral also features Mann's signature moody, atmospheric depiction of Los Angeles, which effectively draws viewers into the film's unique neo-noir world .

1 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Tom cruise plays cpt. pete "maverick" mitchell, top gun: maverick.

Another one of the best sequels of all time, Top Gun: Maverick sees Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell return to the titular school to train the next generation of graduates while also dealing with some of his longstanding demons. This is a movie that's just as much about family and trust as it is about exhilarating dogfights, which makes it a surprisingly deep and thoughtful blockbuster. Top Gun: Maverick cemented Cruise's status as one of Hollywood's biggest stars as its heartfelt story and creative action scenes helped the sequel gross over $1 billion.

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A brief history of tom cruise’s impressive filmography, now that's a lot of movies..

Tom Cruise is such a staple in American cinema that it’s easy to take him for granted. Since the early 1980s, he’s been cranking out hit after hit, becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors and consistently making blockbusters that shatter box office records.

In the past five decades, Cruise’s movies have grossed more than $11.5 billion worldwide. Oh, and he also does all his own stunts! The man himself may be an enigma, but there’s no denying the role he’s played in cinematic history.

In 2022, his return to the Top Gun universe even managed to lure pandemic-wary moviegoers back to theaters. Top Gun: Maverick grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and became one of the highest-grossing movies in history. As a result, according to Variety , Steven Spielberg told Cruise he “saved Hollywood’s a** and [ … ] might have saved theatrical distribution.”

Cruise began his career like so many others, journeying to New York City to bus tables while trying to become an actor, eventually moving to the West Coast and signing with a talent agency. He got attention on sets right away, landing small roles in both Endless Love and Taps in 1981. The Hollywood Reporter states that Cruise’s role in Taps was expanded after director Harold Becker noticed the actor was “out-marching the other cadets on the parade field,” which totally fits everything we know about Cruise now!

All of Tom Cruise’s films, in order

Below is a list of all of the movies Cruise has made since he first boarded that Greyhound to NYC back in the early ’80s. Our favorites are in bold.

– Endless Love (1981)

– Taps (1981)

The Outsiders  (1983)

Welcome to the Brat Pack! Cruise’s first big break came when he was selected to join the ensemble of The Outsiders , directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Cruise joined fellow young rising stars C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane, yet he still managed to stand out on screen.

– Losin’ It (1983)

– Risky Business (1983)

This movie was transformative and really put Cruise on the map as a leading man. Who could forget the shirt-no-pants dance scene? Or the train scene with Rebecca De Mornay? Is it hot in here?

– All The Right Moves (1983)

– Legend (1985)

Tim Curry! A very young Mia Sara! David Bowie in a cod piece! This movie has it all.

Top Gun  (1986)

You might have an inkling of how huge this movie was when it came out, but you’re probably underestimating it. Seriously, it was massive ! Money-wise, it grossed $357 million globally and was the highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Anecdotally, everyone was buying Ray-Bans and bomber jackets and rewinding that love scene with Kelly McGinnis until we wore out the VHS tape.

– The Color of Money (1986)

Just when we thought he couldn’t get more popular, he made a movie about shooting pool with Hollywood legend Paul Newman.

– Cocktail (1986)

– Rain Man (1988)

Born on the Fourth of July  (1989)

Cruise won a Best Actor Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam veteran who co-wrote the biographical screenplay with director Oliver Stone. Cruise also received the first of four Academy Award nominations. His star was truly rising by now. People magazine named him 1990’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”

– Days of Thunder (1990)

– Far and Away (1992)

– A Few Good Men (1992)

Cruise and Jack Nicholson proved to be a riveting pair to watch on screen. “You can’t handle the truth!”

– The Firm (1993)

– Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Audiences didn’t love him as Lestat, but the film was critically acclaimed nevertheless.

– Mission: Impossible (1996)

The movie that kicked off a billion dollar franchise!

– Jerry Maguire (1996)

“Show me the money!” Cruise received a second Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and a second Academy Award nomination for this romantic comedy, which co-starred Renee Zellweger.

– Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

– Magnolia (1999)

Cruise earned a third Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a motivational speaker, but he missed out on an Academy Award for a third time.

– Mission: Impossible II (2000)

– Vanilla Sky (2001)

– Minority Report (2002)

– Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

– The Last Samurai (2003)

– Collateral (2004)

– War of the Worlds (2005)

– Mission: Impossible III (2006)

– Lions for Lambs (2007)

– Tropic Thunder (2008)

An unrecognizable Cruise plays a ribald studio executive producer who was reportedly modeled after Harvey Weinstein.

– Valkyrie (2008)

– Knight and Day (2010)

– Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2001)

– Rock of Ages (2012)

– Jack Reacher (2012)

– Oblivion (2013)

– Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

– Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

– Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

– The Mummy (2017)

– American Made (2017)

– Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Top Gun: Maverick  (2021)

Maverick is back to fight unnamed U.S. enemies, romance an age-appropriate new love interest (Jennifer Connelly), and oh yeah, save Hollywood! With a cast full of easy-on-the-eyes new fly boys and girls, it’s easy to see why Top Gun: Maverick was such a smash hit .

– Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)

What’s next?

-Untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film (2025)

More Mission: Impossible movies … yay? Oh well, it’s not like we don’t have a ton of other movies in the Tom Cruise catalog to occupy our time. This guy sure has been busy for these past few decades!

(featured image: Paramount Pictures)

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Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including Risky Business , A Few Good Men , The Firm , Jerry Maguire , and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Who Is Tom Cruise?

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, better known as Tom Cruise, was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, to Mary and Thomas Mapother. Cruise's mother was an amateur actress and schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. His family moved around a great deal when Cruise was a child to accommodate his father's career.

Cruise's parents divorced when he was 11, and the children moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and then to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after she remarried. Like his mother and three sisters, Cruise suffered from dyslexia, which made academic success difficult for him. He excelled in athletics, however, and considered pursuing a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him during high school.

At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest, but he left after a year. When he was 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school's production of the musical Guys and Dolls . After Cruise won the lead of Nathan Detroit, he found himself surprisingly at home on the stage, and a career was born.

'Taps,' 'The Outsiders'

Cruise set a 10-year deadline for himself in which to build an acting career. He left school and moved to New York City, struggling through audition after audition before landing an appearance in 1981's Endless Love , starring Brooke Shields. Around this same time, he snagged a small role in the military school drama Taps (1981), co-starring Sean Penn .

His role in Taps was upgraded after director Harold Becker saw Cruise's potential, and his performance caught the attention of a number of critics and filmmakers. In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Outsiders , which also starred Emilio Estevez , Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe —all prominent members of a group of young actors the entertainment press dubbed the "Brat Pack." The film was not well received, but it allowed Cruise to work with an acclaimed director on a high-profile project.

'Risky Business'

His next film, Risky Business (1983), grossed $65 million. It also made Cruise a highly recognizable actor — thanks in no small part to a memorable scene of the young star dancing in his underwear.

In 1986, after a two-year hiatus, the budding actor released the big-budget fantasy film Legend , which did poorly at the box office. That same year, however, Cruise's A-list status was confirmed with the release of Top Gun , which co-starred Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan . The testosterone-fueled action-romance, set against the backdrop of an elite naval flight school, became the highest-grossing film of 1986.

'The Color of Money,' 'Rain Man' and 'Born on the Fourth of July'

Cruise followed the tremendous success of Top Gun with a string of both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. He first starred in The Color of Money (1986) with co-star Paul Newman , and then went on to work with Dustin Hoffman on Rain Man (1988). Cruise's next role, as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in the biopic Born on the Fourth of July (1989), earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm' and 'Interview with a Vampire'

In 1992, Cruise proved once more that he could hold his own opposite a screen legend when he co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men . The film grossed more than $15 million its first weekend and earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. He continued to demonstrate his success as a leading man with The Firm (1993) and Interview with a Vampire (1994), which co-starred Brad Pitt.

'Mission: Impossible,' 'Jerry McGuire'

Next, Cruise hit the big screen with two huge hits—the $64 million blockbuster Mission: Impossible (1996), which the star also produced, and the highly acclaimed Jerry McGuire (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe. For the latter, Cruise earned a second Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'Magnolia'

Cruise and then-wife Kidman spent much of 1997 and 1998 in England shooting Eyes Wide Shut , an erotic thriller that would be director Stanley Kubrick 's final film. The movie came out in the summer of 1999 to mixed reviews, but that year Cruise enjoyed greater success with the release of Magnolia . His performance as a self-confident sex guru in the ensemble film earned him another Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

'Vanilla Sky,' 'The Last Samurai'

Cruise then starred in the long-awaited smash hit Mission: Impossible 2 in 2000, alongside Anthony Hopkins , Thandie Newton and Ving Rhames. In 2002, he starred in Vanilla Sky , his second collaboration with Crowe, as well as Steven Spielberg 's Minority Report . The following year, Cruise traveled to Australia to shoot the $100 million war epic The Last Samurai, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination.

'War of the Worlds'

Cruise proved he remained a top draw by starring in the Spielberg-directed remake of the science-fiction classic War of the Worlds (2005), which grossed more than $230 million at the box office.

His next effort, Mission: Impossible 3 (2006), also scored well with audiences. However, Cruise was faced with a professional setback in August when Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with the actor. The company's chairman cited Cruise's erratic behavior and controversial views as the reason for the split, though industry experts noted that Paramount more likely ended the partnership over Cruise's high earnings from the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Cruise quickly rebounded and on November 2, 2006, he announced his new partnership with film executive Paula Wagner and the United Artists film studio. Their first production as a team, the political drama Lions for Lambs (2007), proved a commercial disappointment despite a strong cast that included Meryl Streep and Robert Redford .

'Tropic Thunder'

Taking a break from weighty material, Cruise delighted audiences with his performance in the comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Despite his relatively small role in a movie that featured Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller , Cruise stood out by obscuring his trademark good looks to play a balding, obese movie studio executive.

'Valkyrie,' 'Rock of Ages'

In December 2008, Cruise released his second project through United Artists. The film, Valkyrie , was a World War II drama about a plot to assassinate German leader Adolf Hitler . Cruise starred as a German army officer who became involved in the conspiracy.

Cruise returned to one of his most popular franchises in 2011 with Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol . Breaking into new territory, he then starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages . Although Cruise received some positive reviews for his performance as a rock star, the movie failed to attract much of an audience.

'Jack Reacher,' 'Edge of Tomorrow'

Returning to his mainstream action roots, Cruise starred in the 2012 crime drama Jack Reacher , based on a book by Lee Child. He then headlined a pair of science-fiction adventures, Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Showing no signs of slowing down, the veteran actor in 2015 delivered his usual high-energy performance for the fifth installment of his blockbuster franchise, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation .

Latest Movies and Familiar Franchises

In 2016, Cruise reprised the role of Jack Reacher for Never Go Back . He then headlined a reboot of The Mummy (2017), which performed respectably at the box office but was savaged by critics, before earning better reviews later that year for the crime thriller American Made .

2018 brought a return to familiar territory for Cruise, who starred in Mission Impossible —Fallout that summer. Prior to its release, he tweeted a photo to mark day 1 of production on the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick , scheduled for a June 2020 release.

Scientology and Personal Life

Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers in 1987. It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents. However, while his spiritual life flourished, his marriage to Rogers ended in 1990. That same year, Cruise made the racecar drama Days of Thunder alongside Kidman. Though the movie was unpopular among critics and fans alike, the two lead actors had real chemistry. On Christmas Eve 1990, after a brief courtship, Cruise and Kidman married in Telluride, Colorado.

Divorce from Kidman

For much of the 1990s, Cruise and Kidman found themselves fiercely defending the happiness and legitimacy of their marriage. They filed two different lawsuits against tabloid publications for stories they considered libelous. In each case, the couple received a published retraction and apology, along with a large monetary settlement which they donated to charity. The couple has two children, Isabella and Connor.

On February 5, 2001, Cruise and Kidman announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. The couple cited the difficulties involved with two acting careers and the amount of time spent apart while working. Following the divorce, Cruise briefly dated his Vanilla Sky co-star Penelope Cruz , followed by a much-publicized relationship with actress Katie Holmes. A month after his ties to Holmes became public, Cruise professed his love for the actress in a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, during which he jumped on Winfrey's sofa, shouting "Yes!"

Marriage to Katie Holmes

In June 2005, after a two-month courtship, Cruise proposed to Holmes in a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower. In October, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. The hasty proposal and surprise pregnancy quickly became tabloid gossip. But Cruise made even bigger headlines that year as an outspoken advocate for Scientology. He openly criticized former co-star Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants during her recovery from postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry and modern medicine, claiming Scientology held the key to true healing. Cruise's statements led to a heated argument with news anchor Matt Lauer on The Today Show in June 2005, for which Cruise later apologized.

In 2006, Cruise and Holmes welcomed daughter Suri into the world. That year, they were married in an Italian castle, with celebrities Will Smith , Jada Pinkett Smith , Jennifer Lopez and Victoria and David Beckham among those in attendance. However, the storybook romance wouldn't last, and in June 2012, the couple announced their separation.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1962
• Birth date: July 3, 1962
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Syracuse
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including 'Risky Business,' 'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm,' 'Jerry Maguire' and the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise.
• Astrological Sign: Cancer

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• Article Title: Tom Cruise Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/tom-cruise
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• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 26, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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7 best Tom Cruise 1990s movies, ranked

For 40 years, Tom Cruise  has been one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. From heartbreaking monologues to death-defying stunts, Cruise has been lighting up the big screen since he slid across the floor in Risky Business . At 61, Cruise has no plans of slowing down, with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two hitting theaters in 2025.

7. Days of Thunder (1990)

6. the firm (1993), 5. eyes wide shut (1999), 4. a few good men (1992), 3. magnolia (1999), 2. mission: impossible (1996), 1. jerry maguire (1996).

Cruise went from budding star to acting icon in the 1990s as he starred in nine films from 1990-1999. Several of Cruise’s films during the 1990s feature some of the actor’s finest work, and he even scored two Oscar nominations. From charming dramedies to action tentpoles, Cruise did it all in the 1990s. Below, we rank Cruise’s seven best films of the decade.

Cruise mastered playing the young, cocky hotshot in Top Gun . Cole Trickle falls under the same archetype in Days of Thunder . After dominating in open-wheel racing, Cole jumps to NASCAR, where he quickly forms a rivalry with veteran champion Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). After a crash sidelines them with injuries, Cole and Rowdy put their differences aside and become friends. Cole also romances Dr. Claire Lewicki, played by Cruise’s future wife (now ex-wife) Nicole Kidman. 

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Days of Thunder is not as good as Top Gun , but it’s still a fun sports movie with good racing sequences and a flashy Cruise performance. Fun fact: Days of Thunder is Cruise’s only writing credit. Cruise received a story credit along with Robert Towne, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter.

Stream Days of Thunder on Paramount+ .

Considering he’s played lawyers in multiple movies, I wonder if Cruise ever wanted to seek a career in law if acting didn’t work out. Luckily for Cruise, he chose the right profession. In The Firm , Cruise plays Mitch McDeere, a promising Harvard Law School graduate who takes a job with a prestigious firm in Memphis. The firm introduces Mitch to a life of wealth and power. However, the long hours strain his marriage with his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn).

Mitch accidentally discovers the firm’s illegal activities, from money laundering to tax fraud and murder. Approached by the FBI to flip on his associates, Mitch knows he’s a dead man if he helps the authorities. Cruise’s fiery persona and star power are a winning combination in Sydney Pollack’s cat-and-mouse legal thriller. The Firm also inspired Cruise’s lifelong mission to become an elite runner .

Stream The Firm on Paramount+ .

Looking at how Cruise gravitated toward action in the 21st century, Eyes Wide Shut was one of the actor’s biggest risks. Stanley Kubrick’s final film stars Cruise as Bill Harford, a doctor who is stunned to learn that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), has sexual fantasies about sleeping with other men. Jealous, Bill sets out to look for a sexual encounter.

Bill meets with his old friend, Nick Nightingale (Todd Field), and learns about a masked sex party hosted by a secret society. After attending one of the parties, Bill realizes he’s in danger, leading him to rethink his intentions. Unfortunately for Cruise and Kidman, their real-life marriage ended a few years after this film, and when you read about the difficult production , it’s easy to speculate that it may have played a part. However, Eyes Wide Shut remains one of Cruise’s most vulnerable performances.

Rent Eyes Wide Shut  on Prime Video , YouTube , Apple , or Google .

Cruise starred as a JAG attorney in A Few Good Men. In the film directed by Rob Reiner and based on a script by Aaron Sorkin, Cruise plays Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, a lawyer tasked with defending two U.S. Marines accused of murdering another Marine on Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Kaffee assembles a team, including Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), to mount a defense and prove the Marines were carrying out an order from a superior officer.

Cruise’s courtroom scenes are some of his finest acting moments. He brings the proper amount of intensity and ferocity to the courtroom, leading to the film’s climatic scene between Kaffee and Col. Nathan R. Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson . Cruise versus Nicholson in a courtroom , what’s better than that?

Rent A Few Good Men  on Prime Video , YouTube , Apple , or Google .

Magnolia has a lot of problems, but Cruise isn’t one of them. While Cruise was making Eyes Wide Shut , director Paul Thomas Anderson  met with Cruise to discuss working together on a future film. That film became Magnolia , with Cruise starring as Frank T.J. Mackey, a conceited motivational speaker and dating expert who teaches people that life is about “what you take.”

While the misogynistic speeches show Cruise’s comedic chops, the single best scene of his career is when Frank breaks down and weeps in front of his dying father. How the Academy watched that scene and didn’t award Cruise Best Supporting Actor is beyond me.

Stream Magnolia on Prime Video .

The role that has come to define Cruise for the last three decades is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible . Ethan is an elite agent who works for the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), the secret government agency called upon for dangerous assignments. In Mission: Impossible , a failed mission that results in the death of several IMF agents forces Ethan to go on the run as the government deems him the prime suspect.

Forced to clear his name, Ethan assembles a new team to infiltrate the CIA building and steal an electronic list that could prove his innocence. By 1996, Cruise mostly did dramas with a few action films mixed in. However, the success of Mission: Impossible kicked off Cruise’s run as a global action star who is not afraid to push himself to the absolute limit, even if that means driving a motorcycle off a cliff.

Stream Mission: Impossible on Paramount+ or Prime Video .

Jerry Maguire is Cruise’s magnum opus. Everything we love about Cruise, from his natural charisma and infectious smile to his exuberant energy and undying passion, is channeled into the football dramedy Jerry Maguire . Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire stars Cruise as a sports agent who quits his high-profile agency to start his own management firm, so he can focus on stronger relationships with fewer clients.

Jerry’s only client is Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a wide receiver in the NFL who wants Jerry to “show him the money.” Jerry’s only employee is Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), a single mother and eventual love interest. Cruise turns his movie star charm up to 10 in Jerry Maguire . And yes, Tom, you had us at hello, too.

Rent Jerry Maguire on Prime Video , YouTube , Apple , or Google .

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In 1996, Tom Cruise starred in two movies. One of those movies, Jerry Maguire, earned the actor his second Oscar nomination. The other film was Mission: Impossible, a film that drastically changed the course of his career. As Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible elevated Cruise into a bonafide action star, as he started his transition from dramatic and comedic movies to more action and sci-fi films.

Thirty years later, the Mission: Impossible franchise remains one of the most consistent series in Hollywood. Mission: Impossible continues to raise the stakes with each entry as Cruise risks his life with each death-defying stunt, all in the name of entertainment. Before Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, we have a task for you to complete. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read the Mission: Impossible movie rankings below and discover which one is the best in the series. Cue the theme song.

With the end of March rapidly approaching, there is only a limited amount of time to watch certain films on Netflix, as the streamer will say goodbye to several noteworthy films. One of the biggest departures from the service is the DC films. Wonder Woman, The Batman, Justice League, The Suicide Squad, and Man of Steel are all heading out the door after March 31.

The list doesn't stop at superhero films. We created a list of five films to watch before they leave at the end of March. Our selections include a famous 1990s rom-com from an icon of the genre, a musical comedy from the 1980s, and a terrifying adaptation of a Stephen King novel. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

Coming off their first defeat of the young MLS season, things don't get any easier for the NY Red Bulls, who welcome Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to Red Bull Arena this afternoon.

The match is about to start, at 2:00 p.m. ET, and will stream exclusively on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV in the United States and Canada. Here's everything you need to know about MLS Season Pass and how to stream the match. Watch NY Red Bulls vs Inter Miami on MLS Season Pass

'I Thought I Was Going To Die': Miles Teller Reveals Flight Training Devised By Tom Cruise Was No Joke In Top Gun: Maverick

That 'need for speed' was nearly lethal!

Sure, it looked fun to film that breathtaking action-drama Top Gun: Maverick , what with all of the shirtless beach football games , "Great Balls of Fire" piano sing-alongs and glorious mustaches . But star Miles Teller said that getting into the "danger zone" for the high-flying sequel was actually dangerous. 

During an interview with LADbible , the actor—who plays Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, a pilot trainee and the son of Maverick's late BFF Nick "Goose" and Carol Bradshaw, portrayed by Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan in the original Top Gun movie—discussed how Maverick star Tom Cruise put the cast newcomers through the ringer during their pilot training for the film. It got to the point that Teller actually thought he was "going to die" while filming one specific heart-pounding sequence:

I definitely had a moment where I thought I was going to die. There was a sequence where we were heading straight towards the ground and you do what’s called a max G pull-up. You’re heading down and at the last second you yank up, and it’s really tough for the pilot. It’s something they train in all the time, but it was the first time we’d done a maneuver like that and I completely stopped acting. I looked at the ground and thought this wasn’t going to end well for me.

Despite feeling a "healthy bit of fear," Teller was proud that he was one of the few cast members who didn't have to grab a barf bag mid-flight during the production. (His co-star Lewis Pullman previously revealed that he would throw up during the movie's high-octane jet stunts.) Miles added: 

I think when there’s that much adrenaline and a healthy bit of fear, I was able to hold it down. I guess that’s a secret skill I have.

And while the 37-year-old star is more than happy to "have a perfectly good stunt guy" to tackle those really difficult movie maneuvers, he does praise actors like Cruise who do their own stunt work and offer up an "elevated" level of immersion for the viewer: 

I think the reason why Tom does this stuff is because when the audience knows that it’s really you and there’s no cutaways, that the level of immersion you get as a viewer, as a voyeur, is elevated. So I’m open to it, but also, I’ve got injured on some films doing some weird things, and when you have a perfectly good stunt guy, I don’t want to put him out of a job, you know? That’s just me being an honest guy.

Given how much of a box office behemoth Top Gun: Maverick was in 2022, a third film is unsurprisingly in the works , with Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell  as well as Miles Teller and Glen Powell all expected to return. And there will undoubtedly be even more adrenaline-pumping plane action to come. 

In the meantime, you can watch Miles Teller and the rest of the new recruits in Top Gun : Maverick, available to stream with a Paramount Plus subscription .

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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, entertainment and lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. Regularly covers Bravo shows, Oscar contenders, the latest streaming news and anything happening with Harry Styles.

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It's official (according to Steven Spielberg): Tom Cruise saved cinema

By Lucy Ford

If ever there was a time to canonise some sort of living Patron Saint of Hollywood, Tom Cruise probably deserves a shot at the running. 

The movie business hasn't exactly had an easy few years. As we were stuck at home, cinemas shuttered, budgets got slashed, water cooler moments all but disappeared and VOD became the movie-watching experience de rigueur. The town was in a tizzy. ‘How will we ever get bums back in seats?’ Of course, there were some outliers. Marvel , for instance, never stopped making money, especially thanks to Spider-man: No Way Home . But then, swooping in on the wing of a plane , Tom Cruise appeared and solidified the blockbuster's place in the 2020s with Top Gun: Maverick .

This may sound hyperbolic, but at least Steven Spielberg agrees with us.

The pair were caught on camera at the annual Oscars luncheon, where they're both nominated for Best Picture ( Spielberg nabbing it for his semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans ). In a video captured at the event, Spielberg is seen gushing to a blushing Cruise “You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, Top Gun: Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.” It's a pretty glorious moment, especially when you consider the pair's history working together on films like Minority Report and War of the Worlds, two titans of the box office at their release. 

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Steven Spielberg knows a thing or two about boosting theatrical releases. Jaws , of course, is still one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and you can throw in the Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones franchises in for good measure too. And when it comes to Cruise, he's not wrong. 

Grossing over a billion dollars at the global box office and railing against the short window between cinema release and on-demand viewing, with Top Gun: Maverick , Cruise ensured a place on the big screen for films that aren't tethered to 30 other films packed with lore before it. Sure, Top Gun: Maverick isn't an original film, it's drenched in nostalgia for its 1986 predecessor which told the story of young fighter pilots. The movie more or less cuts and pastes that concept into a new mould, with Cruise leading a gaggle of young bucks, including the son ( Miles Teller ) of his late best friend Goose. But its existence as a sequel at this point is kind of overshadowed by the sheer feat it pulled that could rival any F/A-18. 

It's hard to call anything a bonafide, decades-spanning A-list celebrity does a ‘Cinderella Story’, but Top Gun: Maverick bucked not only a post-pandemic movie-going trend but reopened a window to a former golden age of blockbuster experiences. Considering, ahead of its release, many were sure Cruise's resistance to sending it to streaming right away was some kind of folly of ego, its continuing box office success is something like a fairytale.

So there you have it, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Steven Spielberg, we now pronounce Tom Cruise the saviour of the film industry. 

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Tom Cruise's Top 10 Best Movies, Ranked

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Tom Cruise is consistently box office gold.

The 61-year-old actor just helmed 2022′s biggest movie , Top Gun: Maverick , as well as continuing the hugely successful Mission: Impossible series, and he’s got even more successful films and franchises to his name.

Many of his films have been big hits with audiences, and there are several movies that have gone on to receive nearly universal critical acclaim.

We’ve ranked Tom Cruise ‘s best movies, according to their Rotten Tomatoes scores. And there is a tie for No. 1!

Click through to find out Tom Cruise’s 10 best movies, ranked…

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'Edge of Tomorrow' Works Because Tom Cruise Is Playing a Coward

Major William Cage is not like Ethan Hunt!

The Big Picture

• Tom Cruise's role as Major William Cage in Edge of Tomorrow showcases his comedic talent and his range beyond typical action hero roles.
• The film allows Cruise to have a genuine character arc, demonstrating self-sacrifice and bravery.
• Cruise and Emily Blunt's dynamic chemistry enhances the film's narrative and adds depth to their characters.

Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world for four decades, but he’s somehow having a new renaissance in his career over the past decade. While Cruise’s string of hits in the 1990s emphasized his ambition to work with auteur filmmakers and give versatile performances, it seems like Cruise’s current work is only in service of the audience. Cruise continues to push himself to deliver outrageously entertaining maximalist spectacle , and the success of the last few Mission: Impossible films and Top Gun: Maverick indicate that audiences will follow him no matter where he goes. Interestingly, one of the more underrated films from this era is the sci-fi action flick Edge of Tomorrow , in which Cruise took a completely different type of challenge — he had to play a coward.

Edge of Tomorrow

A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.

What Is 'Edge of Tomorrow' About?

Directed by Doug Liman , Edge of Tomorrow takes place in 2015 when a group of alien invaders known as “Mimics” have taken control of Europe, forcing troopers to head to the frontlines in mech-suits to ward off their seemingly brilliant opponents. Major William Cage (Cruise) is simply a “public affairs” officer with no combat experience who aims to use his superior position to avoid duty, but he’s punished and sent directly to the frontlines. After attempting to desert, Cage finds himself squarely under the command of the no-nonsense veteran Sergeant Rita Vrataski ( Emily Blunt ). Although they’re initially at odds, Cage finds that he must seek Rita’s help if he’s to escape the time loop he’s been caught in, wherein he keeps dying and coming back to life only to repeat the same day over and over .

Edge of Tomorrow sets up a premise that borrows from both Groundhog Day and Independence Day , but Cruise’s performance is a lot closer to Bill Murray ’s Phil Connors than Will Smith ’s Steven Hiller. He’s a reluctant hero who doesn’t even want to be a hero, which couldn’t be more different from Ethan Hunt or Pete Mitchell. The use of the time loop trope allows Cruise to have a genuine character arc where he has to prove himself, learn new skills, and discover the value of self-sacrifice and bravery. It also allowed him to flex his comedic chops in a way that he hadn’t been able to since his work in the 1990s. Cruise’s dynamic performance as a lovable loser makes Edge of Tomorrow rank among the most entertaining original blockbusters in recent memory.

'Edge of Tomorrow' Shows Off Tom Cruise's Comedic Abilities

Despite being one of the biggest box office draws in history, it’s easy to forget that Tom Cruise is already an acclaimed performer . This is someone who has worked with Oliver Stone , Steven Spielberg , Stanley Kubrick , Michael Mann , and Paul Thomas Anderson , so he’s picked up a few things about playing a nuanced character. What’s brilliant about the writing of Cage is that the script doesn’t go over the top in making him unlikeable; he’s simply the product of an unfair system that risks the lives of those who can’t afford to luxuriate in a comfortable corporate position like he can. He may be blissfully mean-spirited, but he’s not necessarily a war-mongering militarist like his superior, General Brigham ( Brendan Gleeson ).

It’s also easily forgotten how funny Cruise can be. We see an awkward, goofy side of him in Edge of Tomorrow that’s been absent in his performances (except for a little detour in Tropic Thunder ) since Jerry Maguire . This is exemplified when he’s awkwardly introduced to his new team of companions in the barracks and desperately tries to escape from duty. Seeing Cage demolished and killed in different ways as he tries to find any means to avoid actually doing anything productive allows the film to have a morbid, dark sense of humor. While it’s quite similar to a sequence in Groundhog Day when Phil continues to attempt suicide, it’s even funnier here as a self-aware reference to Cruise’s history of performing dangerous stunts . Cruise even helps shed light on the supporting cast as Cage begins to mess with his fellow soldiers by predicting their activities each time he’s reincarnated.

However, Cage’s cowardly nature also gives the film a direction, and it makes him a more inspirational character. There’s a bit of The Twilight Zone magic within the story about an ordinary man called on to do extraordinary things, and Cruise gets to show how Cage slowly learns about his own abilities as he trains with Rita. Having an inexperienced character allows the film to provide exposition in a naturalistic way, as Cage is hilariously unprepared for all elements of combat . These scenes would all be infinitely less interesting if Cruise was playing an action hero like Ethan Hunt , who already knows how the gadgets work.

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Are a Dynamic Duo in 'Edge of Tomorrow'

There’s a good deal of the Alien legacy in Edge of Tomorrow, and Blunt certainly gives a performance worthy of Sigourney Weaver ’s Ellen Ripley . In a reversal of roles, Rita is the hard-edged, cynical veteran tasked with helping Cage. The film sets off a fun dichotomy where Rita obviously wants to figure out the aliens’ plan herself, but must train a goofball like Cage because he’s been infected and can retain his memories. There’s a plot-centric reason for them to stay together, and the chemistry between Cruise and Blunt steadily convinces the viewers that they’re learning to appreciate each other.

Having Cage initially be a cowardly deserter gives him a sensitivity that makes this relationship more interesting. Cage isn’t just learning about how to fight in a mech-suit and pick up clues about alien biology, but also how to improve himself and reflect on his life choices. He’s forced to open up to Rita and finds a newfound respect for the soldiers he wouldn’t have thought twice about before. There are some quiet moments of intimacy in which we see how much Cage has grown , particularly when Rita reveals how she was once caught in a traumatic moment, reliving the death of her lover.

The 10 Best Tom Cruise Action Movies, Ranked

Edge of Tomorrow was an anomaly for many reasons. Although it was loosely based on the graphic novel All You Need Is Kill , it felt like a completely original work of science fiction that didn’t intend to start a franchise or launch a universe. Those looking for a generic sci-fi action movie may have been surprised to find a surprisingly earnest, hilarious, and emotional story about the planet’s most unexpected hero. Through Cage's unexpected journey in Edge of Tomorrow , Tom Cruise manages to convince us that he’s still a hero — he just has to learn how to be.

Edge of Tomorrow is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Tom cruise-wbd deal can’t hurt his $8 billion relationship with paramount.

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When word broke in January that Tom Cruise signed a deal to develop original and franchise pictures with Warner Bros. Discovery, including having an office for the actor’s Cruise/Wagner Productions company on the WBD lot, many ask if it’s a sign all isn’t well between Cruise and frequent collaborator Paramount Pictures. But while it's a terrific "get" for Warner’s Motion Picture Group co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, it can’t hurt the Cruise’s blockbuster relationship with Paramount.

Tom Cruise stars in "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One"

The deal with Warner is not even exclusive, nor is it a first-look situation prohibiting Cruise from shopping projects to other studios first. I suspect it’s in fact a preparation for a set of specific projects being considered and/or developed, including some Cruise is bringing to the studio to collaborate on, and a few franchises the studio wants Cruise to appear in (and I’ve a suspicion laced with hope that it might eventually involve conversations with James Gunn and Peter Safran over at DC Studios).

Warner and Cruise will no doubt make some big projects together and enjoy lots of success, if the star-producer’s history of picking winning projects and pairing with the right people is any guide. Edge of Tomorrow , The Last Samurai , and Interview With the Vampire , are some of the films Cruise made in some collaboration with Warner that were critical and/or financial successes, combining for $1 billion in box office.

However, understanding that deal in the context of Cruise’s ongoing relationship with Paramount requires understanding at the math.

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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning grossed $567.5 million around the world in 2023. After the final Mission: Impossible 8 movie for Cruise releasing in 2025 and upcoming Top Gun 3 release expected for 2026, across every decade for nearly 40 years, Tom Cruise will have been making Paramount an average of $772 million per film in two tentpole franchises totaling $8-8.5 billion.

Few stars can boast similarly successful longterm relationships with a studio and franchises, and this is without discussing the massive merchandising revenue streams behind both franchises, which adds billions more in revenue streams.

Then consider the sales and licensing for TV and streaming worldwide, the soundtracks and shirts, the buttons and collectables, and the rest of the merchandise. We’re talking about money-printing machines, as franchises go.

So at first glance, it might seem surprising Cruise is willing to step outside of that relationship. I saw reactions to the title change for this year’s Mission: Impossible 8 , formerly Dead Reckoning Part 2 , asking if this reflects continued debate about the marketing of the previous film and how to proceed, with an implication the title change and deal with WBD might be tied to those rumors of Cruise being displeased by the studio’s handling of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1’s release.

But I don’t believe the situation around the promotion and final box office for Dead Reckoning is as big of a deal as some make it out to be, nor are the implications of Cruise’s deal with WBD.

For what it’s worth, I suspect the title change of the sequel from its original Dead Reckoning Part 2 to simply Mission: Impossible 8 may be a temporary place-holding palate cleanser of sorts, to distance it from the impression of the “two-part story” pitch accompanying the first film.

Add a big, new marketing promotion and tie-in merchandising deals and a dynamic new title reflecting the fact it’s (supposedly, but questionably) Cruise’s final performance as Ethan Hunt, and I think audiences will be ready to turn out in numbers closer to what Cruise and Paramount PARA hoped for last time around.

The Problem

The problems faced by Dead Reckoning Part 1 started with the fact 2023 was just a rough reset year for audiences and studios all around. It was the first year we returned to the box office in a supposed “end of the pandemic/return to normal” emergence, but everyone was still making up their minds about how much they were willing to emerge. Audiences had completely changed how they watch movies and TV, and were reorienting themselves toward more home viewing as they got used to it and realized they didn’t miss theaters much.

But the biggest factor working against Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning was its release date. It hit theaters the weekend of July 14th, 2023. And that, unfortunately, turned out to be the weekend before the historic arrival of Barbie and Oppenheimer to take complete control of the box office and combine for a grand total of nearly $2.5 billion as they played through the end of summer, all of autumn, and into winter.

Indeed, Barbie didn’t leave theaters until January of 2024, and Oppenheimer remains in theaters to this day, actually seeing an increase in screens and box office receipts in the aftermath of it’s Oscar wins, including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actor , and Best Supporting Actor .

So it’s understandable that Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning suffered the unfortunate fate of going up against the two biggest films of the year, in a year that audiences rejected the majority of tentpole and franchise releases.

However, after all films saw large declines the weekend Barbie and Oppenheimer debuted, the Mission: Impossible sequel declined a more blockbuster-typical 64%. Not a big hold, but avoiding a sizable drop in the face of overwhelming competition.

The second weekend of the so-called “Barbenheimer” phenomenon is where things really get interesting, though. Dead Reckoning only suffered a 45% drop its third North American weekend against Barbie and Oppenheimer (which both once again dominated with massive numbers). And then, on its fourth weekend, Dead Reckoning only dropped about 38%. And then 30%.

Again, that’s just domestically. Internationally, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning performed even stronger, and those legs carried it to nearly $400 million in foreign receipts alone.

The Potential

Which is all to say, what might Dead Reckoning have grossed if it wasn’t up against two record-setting blockbusters that dominated the box office for half the year during a pandemic faux-recovery year?

Just a 10% rise internationally would’ve put Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning over the $600 million threshold, and that instantly means the entire M:I franchise has a majority of films that grossed more than $600 million. Add in a 10% domestic rise as well, and we’re talking about $620+ million and a per-film average of $600 million per film, up from the current actual average of $592 million.

That might not sound like much in relative terms, but it means a lot and the optics matter. It’s also important for the complicated “Hollywood math” used to determine various thresholds for backend points and other participation.

I’m betting that, with such sustained audience attendance and final box office of $567 million for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning in spite of the obstacles in its path in the markeplace, Mission: Impossible 8 will surely see more than just a 10% increase over Dead Reckoning’s cume.

At a 20% rise compared to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’s performance, the next sequel could finish somewhere around $680 million, and with enough momentum and good word of mouth it could easily top $700 million. Or more, in fact, with that big promotional blitz about it (again, so they say) being Tom Cruise’s final mission against his most dangerous foe.

This brings us back to the original point about how lucrative Mission: Impossible movies are for Paramount and Cruise. The same is true, of course, for Top Gun films as well.

The first Top Gun flew into theaters on a wave of frenzied audience anticipation and scored top grades from critics and viewers, as well as $357 million in worldwide box office. That’s equivalent to $1 billion in today’s dollars, for the inflation-adjusted conscious, which is particularly relevant for these franchises since the film lacked the massive international marketplace and huge premium screens like IMAX and Dolby Cinema with higher ticket prices, both of which drive the biggest annual blockbusters consistently toward $1 billion.

It’s no surprise, then, that Cruise’s continued star power could carry Top Gun: Maverick to greater heights and a $1.49 billion final global gross. At $1.8 billion combined, the two films set the stage for the upcoming third chapter to carry the franchise past the $3 billion line and possibly even toward $3.5 billion if it captures the public’s imaginations and hearts the way Maverick did.

Cruise is a powerhouse global star, one of the few left in Hollywood and perhaps the only one capable of delivering this sort of consistent box office and merchandising success across a span of almost 40 years. He’ll prove that when Mission: Impossible 8 arrives — maybe with a new title — May 23rd this summer. And he’ll prove it again with Top Gun 3 , although we’re still waiting on the arrival time for that one.

But rest assured, it will come. Just as eventual Mission: Impossible sequels will come, probably with Cruise involved or returning after a brief hiatus. There’s an $8 billion partnership to maintain, and Warner Bros. Discovering won’t get in the way of that.

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Show over: Cinema World in Fitchburg to close after 28-year run

FITCHBURG — Cinema World's seven screens will go black for good on March 31, leaving the city without a movie theater for the first time in nearly three decades.

“We can’t thank you enough for making Cinema World as your go-to movie theater over the years!” the movie theater stated on its Facebook page on Friday.

On May 21, 1996, Cinema World opened for business. The three-month facelift of a former Child World store in the John Fitch Plaza cost an estimated $1 million.

Prior to Cinema World, Fitchburg had been without a movie house since the Fitchburg Theater on Main Street closed after a short-lived revival in the early 1980s.

“The COVID was a killer for a long time and we just never recovered. Being 76 years old, I think I had enough,” theater owner David M. Fedeli of Sterling said Friday. “It’s not what it used to be, but it was fun while it lasted.”

When it opened, Cinema World’s tickets were $6 for adults and $4 for children, senior citizens and all matinees. Movies shown the theater’s first weekend included the first "Mission: Impossible" starring Tom Cruise, as well as "Mr. Holland's Opus," "The Birdcage" and "Primal Fear."

When it closes for good, Cinema World’s tickets will be $8.50 for adults; $6 for children, senior citizens and matinees. Movies shown for the last weekend of the theater most likely will include “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Kung Fu Panda 4.”

Fedeli — who cites "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Midnight Cowboy" as three of his favorite movies — once owned the Tri-Town Drive-in in Lunenburg and Mohawk Drive-in in Gardner, as well as the West Boylston Cinemas. Financially, it doesn’t make sense to continue leasing the building, he said.

“The movies aren’t as good as they once were. They rave about ‘Oppenheimer,’ but I didn’t think it was that great of a movie,” Fedeli said. “When a movie like ‘Barbie’ is the smash hit for the year, something’s missing.”

Cinema World’s general manager Griffin Finnegan, who has worked at the theater for close to seven years, said the workers have been receiving an outpouring of “nice, generous support” since the announcement of the theater’s closing.

“It has been a great experience,” Finnegan said Friday. “I had a great boss. Everyone who’s worked here has been wonderful. We served a lot of nice customers. It got nice to know of these people personally too.”

Cinema World will be open this weekend (through Sunday). It will be closed Monday and Tuesday and close its run March 27, through March 31.

“Stop by to see your last movie at Cinema World and enjoy some of our delicious popcorn!” the Facebook posting ends.

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Tom Cruise Flashes His Abs While Scaling the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles

Tom Cruise was seen hanging from the beams of Los Angeles' famous Hollywood sign while accompanied by a film crew on Saturday

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Tom Cruise appears to have found a new iconic location to pull off his famous stuntwork.

On Saturday, Cruise, 61, was seen with a film crew at the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills as the Top Gun: Maverick star scaled the famed landmark.

The actor wore an all-black t-shirt, pants and shoes for the shoot and at one point flashed his abs from underneath his shirt. Largely thanks to his long-running Mission: Impossible series, Cruise has become synonymous with the dangerous stunts seen in the action-packed films.

A representative for Cruise did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment Monday. It's unclear what Cruise was filming on Saturday.

Cruise last appeared onscreen in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning , which brought back his character Ethan Hunt for a seventh entry in the long-running Mission: Impossible series. The movie made $172 million at the domestic box office and also received two nominations at the recent 96th Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

A title for the eighth film in the series has not yet been announced.

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Cruise also has several other projects in development. In February, PEOPLE confirmed that he will star in the next movie from filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu ( The Revenant, Birdman ), and The Hollywood Reporter reported in January that Top Gun 3 is in development at Paramount, with Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski in talks to direct a follow-up to 2022's highest-grossing movie.

The actor has also been planning to film a movie in outer space for a number of years now as part of a project first announced by NASA back  in 2020. Doug Liman, the filmmaker with whom Cruise made 2014's  Edge of Tomorrow  and 2017's  American Made , is directing that movie . Universal Pictures executive Donna Langley shared in a 2022 BBC news interview that Cruise plans to become the " first civilian to do a space walk outside of the [International] Space Station " as part of the untitled film.

“We’ve been working on it diligently,” Cruise told Variety in July 2023, when asked for an update on the project. “We’ll see where we go.”

Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows With Tom Cruise

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• IMDb Rating
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• Release Year

1. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

PG-13 | 163 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise , Hayley Atwell , Ving Rhames , Simon Pegg

Votes: 241,175 | Gross: $172.14M

2. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Drama

After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.

Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jennifer Connelly , Miles Teller , Val Kilmer

Votes: 685,884 | Gross: $718.73M

3. Tropic Thunder (2008)

R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, War

Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Director: Ben Stiller | Stars: Ben Stiller , Jack Black , Robert Downey Jr. , Jeff Kahn

Votes: 446,242 | Gross: $110.52M

4. Top Gun (1986)

PG | 109 min | Action, Drama

As students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise , Tim Robbins , Kelly McGillis , Val Kilmer

Votes: 499,642 | Gross: $179.80M

5. The Outsiders (1983)

PG | 91 min | Crime, Drama

In a small Oklahoma town in 1964, the rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, heats up when one gang member accidentally kills a member of the other.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: C. Thomas Howell , Matt Dillon , Ralph Macchio , Patrick Swayze

Votes: 96,893 | Gross: $25.60M

6. The Last Samurai (2003)

R | 154 min | Action, Drama

Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise , Ken Watanabe , Billy Connolly , William Atherton

Votes: 469,035 | Gross: $111.11M

7. Risky Business (1983)

R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.

Director: Paul Brickman | Stars: Tom Cruise , Rebecca De Mornay , Joe Pantoliano , Richard Masur

Votes: 99,391 | Gross: $63.50M

8. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

R | 159 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Tom Cruise , Nicole Kidman , Todd Field , Sydney Pollack

Votes: 373,247 | Gross: $55.69M

9. Legend (1985)

PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise , Mia Sara , Tim Curry , David Bennent

Votes: 72,139 | Gross: $15.50M

10. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.

Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Tom Cruise , Emily Blunt , Bill Paxton , Brendan Gleeson

Votes: 732,838 | Gross: $100.21M

11. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

PG-13 | 147 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise , Henry Cavill , Ving Rhames , Simon Pegg

Votes: 376,614 | Gross: $220.16M

12. Jack Reacher (2012)

PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller

A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise , Rosamund Pike , Richard Jenkins , Werner Herzog

Votes: 363,940 | Gross: $80.07M

13. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

Ethan and his team take on their most impossible mission yet when they have to eradicate an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are and committed to destroying the IMF.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise , Rebecca Ferguson , Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg

Votes: 409,443 | Gross: $195.04M

14. Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019– )

TV-MA | 40 min | Documentary, Sport

Docuseries following the FIA Formula One World Championship across multiple seasons.

Stars: Will Buxton , Jack Nicholls , Daniel Ricciardo , Lewis Hamilton

Votes: 50,388

15. Rain Man (1988)

R | 133 min | Drama

After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.

Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman , Tom Cruise , Valeria Golino , Gerald R. Molen

Votes: 544,703 | Gross: $178.80M

16. Mission: Impossible (1996)

PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jon Voight , Emmanuelle Béart , Henry Czerny

Votes: 468,662 | Gross: $180.98M

17. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg , Paula Patton

Votes: 526,996 | Gross: $209.40M

18. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

R | 123 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.

Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Brad Pitt , Tom Cruise , Antonio Banderas , Kirsten Dunst

Votes: 345,965 | Gross: $105.26M

19. Minority Report (2002)

PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Crime, Mystery

John works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise , Colin Farrell , Samantha Morton , Max von Sydow

Votes: 582,429 | Gross: $132.07M

20. Magnolia (1999)

R | 188 min | Drama

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jason Robards , Julianne Moore , Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 327,487 | Gross: $22.46M

21. Top Gear (2002–2022)

TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Sport, Talk-Show

The hosts talk about everything car-related. From new cars to how they're fueled, this show has it all.

Stars: Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond , James May , The Stig

Votes: 126,228

22. A Few Good Men (1992)

R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller

Military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder. They contend they were acting under orders.

Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jack Nicholson , Demi Moore , Kevin Bacon

Votes: 286,091 | Gross: $141.34M

23. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two (2025)

Action, Adventure, Thriller | Post-production

The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Rebecca Ferguson , Vanessa Kirby , Tom Cruise , Hannah Waddingham

24. Collateral (2004)

R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama

A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.

Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jamie Foxx , Jada Pinkett Smith , Mark Ruffalo

Votes: 431,586 | Gross: $101.01M

25. Vanilla Sky (2001)

R | 136 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover.

Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Tom Cruise , Penélope Cruz , Cameron Diaz , Kurt Russell

Votes: 284,830 | Gross: $100.61M

26. Oblivion (I) (2013)

PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.

Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Tom Cruise , Morgan Freeman , Andrea Riseborough , Olga Kurylenko

Votes: 551,686 | Gross: $89.02M

27. Jerry Maguire (1996)

R | 139 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.

Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Tom Cruise , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Renée Zellweger , Kelly Preston

Votes: 285,935 | Gross: $153.95M

28. The Others (2001)

PG-13 | 104 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

In 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted.

Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Nicole Kidman , Christopher Eccleston , Fionnula Flanagan , Alakina Mann

Votes: 391,762 | Gross: $96.52M

29. Mission: Impossible III (2006)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

IMF agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fiancée in response.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Tom Cruise , Michelle Monaghan , Ving Rhames , Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 389,419 | Gross: $134.03M

30. War of the Worlds (2005)

PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise , Dakota Fanning , Tim Robbins , Miranda Otto

Votes: 473,633 | Gross: $234.28M

31. Mission: Impossible II (2000)

PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

IMF agent Ethan Hunt is sent to Sydney to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called "Chimera".

Director: John Woo | Stars: Tom Cruise , Dougray Scott , Thandiwe Newton , Ving Rhames

Votes: 376,404 | Gross: $215.41M

32. American Made (2017)

R | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

The story of Barry Seal, an American pilot who became a drug-runner for the CIA in the 1980s in a clandestine operation that would be exposed as the Iran-Contra Affair.

Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Tom Cruise , Domhnall Gleeson , Sarah Wright , Jesse Plemons

Votes: 206,930 | Gross: $51.34M

33. The Mummy (2017)

PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

Director: Alex Kurtzman | Stars: Tom Cruise , Sofia Boutella , Annabelle Wallis , Russell Crowe

Votes: 205,519 | Gross: $80.10M

34. The Firm (1993)

R | 154 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.

Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Gene Hackman , Hal Holbrook

Votes: 147,155 | Gross: $158.35M

35. Cocktail (1988)

R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A talented New York City bartender takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love.

Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Tom Cruise , Bryan Brown , Elisabeth Shue , Lisa Banes

Votes: 91,483 | Gross: $78.22M

36. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

PG-13 | 118 min | Action, Crime, Drama

Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name while on the run as a fugitive from the law.

Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise , Cobie Smulders , Aldis Hodge , Robert Knepper

Votes: 174,581 | Gross: $58.70M

37. Young Guns (1988)

R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Western

A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.

Director: Christopher Cain | Stars: Emilio Estevez , Kiefer Sutherland , Lou Diamond Phillips , Charlie Sheen

Votes: 67,662 | Gross: $45.66M

38. Valkyrie (2008)

PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, History, Thriller

A dramatization of the July 20, 1944 assassination and political coup plot by desperate renegade German Army officers against Adolf Hitler during World War II.

Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Tom Cruise , Bill Nighy , Carice van Houten , Kenneth Branagh

Votes: 258,512 | Gross: $83.08M

39. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

PG-13 | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

Upon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil.

Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Mike Myers , Beyoncé , Seth Green , Michael York

Votes: 222,224 | Gross: $213.31M

40. Endless Love (1981)

R | 116 min | Drama, Romance

Parental disapproval of a passionate romance between two teenagers leads to arguments, circumstance, insanity and tragedy.

Director: Franco Zeffirelli | Stars: Brooke Shields , Martin Hewitt , Shirley Knight , Don Murray

Votes: 9,513 | Gross: $31.18M

41. Knight and Day (2010)

PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

A young woman gets mixed up with a disgraced spy who is trying to clear his name.

Director: James Mangold | Stars: Tom Cruise , Cameron Diaz , Peter Sarsgaard , Jordi Mollà

Votes: 209,859 | Gross: $76.42M

42. The Daily Show (1996– )

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, News, Talk-Show

A comedy news show featuring humorous takes on top stories.

Stars: Jon Stewart , Trevor Noah , Stephen Colbert , Roy Wood Jr.

Votes: 48,104

43. Rock of Ages (2012)

PG-13 | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical

A small-town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

Director: Adam Shankman | Stars: Julianne Hough , Diego Boneta , Tom Cruise , Alec Baldwin

Votes: 81,514 | Gross: $38.52M

44. Days of Thunder (1990)

PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Drama, Sport

A young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise , Nicole Kidman , Robert Duvall , Randy Quaid

Votes: 96,046 | Gross: $82.67M

45. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

R | 145 min | Biography, Drama, War

The biography of Ron Kovic . Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country for which he fought.

Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Tom Cruise , Bryan Larkin , Raymond J. Barry , Caroline Kava

Votes: 115,419 | Gross: $70.00M

46. Dateline NBC (1992– )

TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, News

Long-running news-magazine/investigation series.

Stars: Lester Holt , Keith Morrison , Andrea Canning , Josh Mankiewicz

Votes: 3,384

47. The Color of Money (1986)

R | 119 min | Drama, Sport

Fast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Paul Newman , Tom Cruise , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Helen Shaver

Votes: 92,923 | Gross: $52.29M

48. Far and Away (1992)

PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance

A young Irish couple flee to the States, but subsequently struggle to obtain land and prosper freely.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Cruise , Nicole Kidman , Thomas Gibson , Robert Prosky

Votes: 68,061 | Gross: $58.88M

49. Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003– )

TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Music, Talk-Show

Jimmy Kimmel interviews celebrities.

Stars: Jimmy Kimmel , Cleto and the Cletones , Guillermo Rodriguez , Paul E. Raff

Votes: 17,353

50. Au Revoir, Chris Hemsworth (2020)

3 min | Short, Comedy, Music

In Venice, a city full of beauty, love, music, and brutal trash talk, Pom Klementieff and her team say "Au Revoir, Chris Hemsworth" with a French song written by Simon Pegg and Pom Klementieff.

Director: Simon Pegg | Stars: Pom Klementieff , Tom Cruise , Rebecca Ferguson , Simon Pegg

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Tom Cruise flashes muscular abs while hanging out at Hollywood landmark

Tom Cruise knows a thing or two about staying in shape.

Cruise, 61, showed off a glimpse of his toned abs while scaling the famous Hollywood sign on Saturday across a stretch of the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles.

The "Mission Impossible" star hopped on top of the large white letters with a few film crew friends and lifted his black T-shirt for a quick snap.

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It is not clear what Cruise was working on to get the shot, but he is known for performing his own death-defying stunts as one of Hollywood's most coveted actors. 

Paramount Pictures announced in October that the eighth installment of "Mission: Impossible" would be pushed back by one year.

The studio cited the SAG-AFTRA strike as one of the reasons for halting production and moved the release date from June 28, 2024 to May 23, 2025.

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It is not the first time Cruise has faced production problems on his films, especially with the action-packed "Mission: Impossible" franchise, where he stars and performs his own stunts as agent Ethan Hunt. 

Production came to a grinding halt on "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" in 2017 when Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt where he jumped between buildings. He got the shot and went back to filming despite not being fully healed.

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The following installment, "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," was shut down twice due to the pandemic. In addition, Cruise faced scrutiny for leaked audio where he chastised crew members for not adhering to social distancing rules.

Forbes reported that Cruise paid $700,000 for the cast and crew to live on cruise ships, essentially creating a safe environment for the team to work without risking a COVID-19 outbreak.

"Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" earned $567.5 million worldwide and received some of the best reviews in the franchise's 27-year history.

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"Top Gun: Maverick" also faced multiple setbacks due to the pandemic, but it ultimately landed in the right gear as Cruise's highest-grossing film and the second-highest-grossing movie in 2022, with $1.4 billion worldwide.

The Oscar-nominated film also marked Cruise's personal best when it crossed the $800 million mark in June 2022.

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Original article source: Tom Cruise flashes muscular abs while hanging out at Hollywood landmark