Tom Cruise Is Blasting Off To Space in 2021 To Make a Movie

Cruise will team up with NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX to make the first-ever movie filmed in space.

top gun: maverick promo
Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise and Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman will reportedly blast off to the International Space Station next year as part of a joint effort between NASA, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Universal Studios to create the first ever movie filmed outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

Images of an ISS schedule tweeted by the Space Shuttle Almanac account show that Cruise, Liman and SpaceX Pilot Lopez Algeria are on the docket for a tourist flight that’s scheduled for October of 2021. There’s also spot listed for a third passenger. 

Whether the goal is to scout locations or begin production is unclear. There are also aren’t many more other known details regarding the interstellar cinematic spectacle itself, other than Universal is providing a $200 million budget, per Deadline

Musk and NASA Administrator James Bridenstine both expressed enthusiasm for the first-of-its-kind project at the the historic SpaceX launch in May

We would love for Tom Cruise to fly to the International Space Station and make a movie,” Bridenstine said, according to IndieWire. “I’m all for that. We’re going to do what we can to make that happen. There was a day when I was in elementary school and I saw Top Gun. From that day, I knew I was going to be a Navy pilot. It’s just the way it was. The goal here [is similar,] and it’s what we’re doing today [with the rocket launch].”

“Get the kids fired up about it! Get them to want that space suit and want to go into orbit and go to the moon and go to Mars,” Musk added when asked about the movie’s goal. “We’re reigniting the dream of space. Anyone who has within them the spirit of exploration should love what’s going on today.”

Bridenstine concluded, “If we can get Tom Cruise to inspire an elementary kid to join the Navy and be a pilot, why can’t we get Tom Cruise to inspire the next Elon Musk? That’s what we need. We need a new generation of many Elon Musks. That’s what we’re doing with our launch [and the film]. It’s all about the next generation.”

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