Details are tight on Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and final film, but we may have more information on the building cast, as reports say that Tom Cruise is “circling” a role in The Movie Critic.
Considering Tom Cruise is just about the busiest guy in Hollywood and that the inspiration for The Movie Critic – a guy who wrote reviews for a porno magazine – was in his mid-’30s, we could reasonably deduce that Cruise wouldn’t be on the marquee here. But the role may be even more limited than we would expect someone of Cruise’s caliber to settle for. According to The InSneider (per ComingSoon.net), Cruise would be looking at a “small role or cameo.” That’s a bit of a disappointment, but it does show the actor’s eagerness to finally work with Tarantino.
Tarantino is also a massive fan of Cruise and his work, most recently heaping massive praise on Top Gun: Maverick. He even met with Cruise to potentially cast him in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth, the role which eventually went to Cruise’s Interview with the Vampire co-star Brad Pitt. On this meeting, Tarantino said, “We talked about it…He’s a great guy. We really hit it off.” Hopefully this connection does in fact lead to Cruise appearing in The Movie Critic, even if briefly.
As of now, Brad Pitt is confirmed to be in The Movie Critic, reuniting him with Tarantino after the aforementioned Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds. Some have speculated that Pitt could again be playing Cliff Booth, as The Movie Critic is set just a handful of years after Booth and Brandy gave the Manson Family the worst night of their lives. As for others in the cast, rumors once tied Black Bird’s Paul Walter Hauser to the title role.
Filming on The Movie Critic is expected to begin filming this year, with a possible 2025 release. Perhaps Tarantino can bring his no doubt stacked cast to the Cannes Film Festival, where he won the Palme d’Or for Pulp Fiction 30 years ago.
If Tom Cruise ends up in The Movie Critic, will you be disappointed that it’s a small role or is it good enough just to get him to work with Tarantino? Share your thoughts below!