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In the end, it may be the best thing that could have happened to Tom Cruise. Viacom billionaire Sumner Redstone told The Wall Street Journal last week that his studio, Paramount, was not renewing Cruise's production-company deal after 14 years because "we don't think someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot." Hollywood and the media erupted. Redstone was saying that Cruise's wacky behavior--jumping on Oprah's couch, espousing his Scientology beliefs--had hurt the box office for "Mission: Impossible III," which grossed $393 million worldwide, but $153 million less than "M:i:II."
Cruise's camp came out swinging, insisting that they, not Paramount, had decided to sever ties. "This was a pre-emptive strike," says Cruise's producing partner, Paula Wagner. "This was a personal attack, but I don't think it was personal to Tom Cruise. It was about him being the biggest movie star in the world." Indeed, Redstone's team played to Wall Street, portraying the 83-year-old mogul as a tough guy taking a stand against overpaid actors. (Cruise will likely make more than $80 million from "M:i:III," while the studio will make a fraction of that.) That spin seemed to work in New York, but it backfired in L.A. "It's disgusting," says one high-placed exec at a rival studio who didn't want to be named discussing another shop's internal strife. "Sumner just wanted to show how big his d--k is. Tom has made hundreds of millions of dollars for Paramount. He's entitled to some respect."
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Although Cruise had become a punch line in Hollywood--and Redstone was only saying what many thought--Redstone's lack of decorum made him look like the town bully, and Cruise like the wounded hero. "Paramount way overplayed their hand," says one top talent manager who asked for anonymity criticizing a studio. "Tom Cruise is going to have a new studio deal inside of a week. Paramount just got this wrong." Sources close to Redstone said he was in high spirits and had no regrets. "He just wanted some attention," says a high-ranking Viacom exec who didn't want to publicly talk about his superior. "He reminded everyone that he's still in charge." So in charge that critics saw it as evidence that Paramount chairman Brad Grey and his boss, Tom Freston, were powerless. Redstone says that's false. "We were all in agreement about ending Tom Cruise's production deal," Redstone tells NEWSWEEK. "I have complete faith in Tom and Brad, and they are clearly running the business." Last Friday, Grey spoke directly about the matter to NEWSWEEK: "Sumner is a maverick. He said what he felt, and that's his prerogative. He certainly didn't ask my permission, and I'm certain, know-ing Sumner as I do, that he felt no obligation to. He built the place." Grey also offered an olive branch to Cruise. "I still admire Tom Cruise," he says. "He's a huge movie star, and a great actor, and I'm sure we'll work together in the future."
Strange as it sounds, Cruise's team isn't opposed to that idea. Wagner, buoyed by industry support, says she would consider making a fourth "Mission"-- at Paramount . "If it's the right script, why not?" she says, laughing. "We created that franchise." Ironically, this episode could endear Cruise to the public again. America loves an underdog. "It's not like no one is going to hire him," says the studio exec. "His last movie made $400 million. I'd sell my soul to the Devil for that."
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