Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie are looking to revisit one of the actor’s most beloved—and strangest—characters ever.
According to Deadline, the frequent collaborators have a few new projects on the go, including a standalone movie for Cruise’s Les Grossman character from Tropic Thunder.
Grossman appeared only briefly in the 2008 comedy, but left a lasting impression on audiences—so much so that Cruise and McQuarrie are described as being “fixated” on reviving the character in some way. Grossman’s appearance came at a time when Cruise needed something of a career revamp, after bizarre public behavior threatened his credibility at the box office. Seeing him don a fat suit and hurl f-bombs in the Ben Stiller-directed movie showed audiences that the actor didn’t take himself as seriously as some may have thought.
The two are also said to be working on an “original song and dance-style musical” which would star Cruise, who assumed a similar role in Rock of Ages, the big screen adaptation of the Broadway production.
Another project in the works is an “original action film with franchise potential,” which should come as little surprise for the duo, who have collaborated on a string of Mission: Impossible movies.
Cruise and McQuarrie are operating from an advantageous position following the box office success of Top Gun: Maverick, which became the actor’s first film to surpass $1 billion worldwide, and looks to improve upon its 12th spot on the list of the highest-grossing movies of all-time.
Cruise also starred in the 2012 adaptation Jack Reacher, which was written and directed by McQuarrie, and the two Hollywood mainstays have been collaborating ever since.
