The US-Soviet Blockbuster Tom Cruise Almost Made — And Why It Fell Apart

Tom Cruise has been trying to make the impossible possible for a long time, and not just on screen. Quick tour through history: back in the 80s he flirted with a U.S.–Soviet movie team-up, and more recently he tried to launch a film literally into space. One fizzled in Moscow, the other is stuck on the launchpad. The guy dreams big; reality keeps tapping the brakes.

When Cruise went to Moscow to make a movie with the USSR

In 1987, Cruise slipped into Moscow for a quiet trip that doubled as a cultural handshake. He met U.S. Embassy diplomats, signed autographs, and visited Mosfilm to talk shop with Soviet filmmakers, including director Eldar Ryazanov. If you’re picturing Maverick trying to co-produce with the people whose planes he was blasting in Top Gun, you’re not the only one. The point was to feel out a joint film during the glasnost thaw.

There’s also a very detailed Reddit recollection floating around that paints the trip like a full-on goodwill tour: Cruise and then-wife Mimi Rogers reportedly hit the Bolshoi Theatre, ventured into the countryside, and moved around Russia on a schedule the KGB quietly helped orchestrate. It’s the kind of behind-the-curtain detail that makes the whole episode more fascinating than you’d expect.

None of it ever became a movie. No script, no official project. Between Cold War tension, Soviet censorship, money problems, and the usual creative tug-of-war, the idea never cleared the runway. Cruise went back to Hollywood and, a few years later, kicked off Mission: Impossible, which turned into the franchise that defined the next three decades of his career.

The space movie: still grounded

Flash forward to the last few years and Cruise’s other big swing: filming in orbit with Doug Liman (his Edge of Tomorrow director). The plan, first announced in 2020, had serious public backing at the time. NASA’s then-boss Jim Bridenstine publicly cheered the idea as something to inspire future engineers, and Elon Musk said it sounded like "a lot of fun." The overall vibe in 2020: this might actually happen.

Now, not so much. The project appears stalled. People close to Cruise have long said he avoids wading into politics to keep his audience broad, and this one reportedly came with political strings. According to Page Six, the production would need coordination with NASA and SpaceX, plus government sign-off. An insider put it bluntly:

"From what I understand, they would need NASA coordination to do the movie, and supposedly Tom Cruise did not want to ask Donald Trump for a favor. You’d need permission from the federal government."

On top of that, think about the insurance, the logistics, the timing. Even by Cruise standards, that’s a gnarly stack of obstacles. Liman has framed the goal as planting a flag for future filmmakers:

"I want to make a film that people watch in a hundred years when maybe there’s hundreds of movies shot in outer space and there’s nothing special about it being in outer space."

That mission isn’t dead, but for now it’s stuck in orbit, waiting for the right window. Cruise is still Cruise — obsessively training, doing his own stunts — but this one has more gatekeepers than a helicopter HALO jump.

What Cruise is actually shooting next

If the spaceship isn’t leaving the pad, the calendar still is. Here’s what’s lining up for 2026 and beyond:

• Digger (October 2, 2026) — Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cast: Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, Emma D’Arcy. A black comedy at Warner Bros.
• Edge of Tomorrow 2 (late 2026, filming) — Director: likely Doug Liman. Co-star: Emily Blunt expected. Sequel to the sci-fi hit; production is slated.
• Top Gun 3 (TBD, in development) — Director: Joseph Kosinski is developing. Script underway, no date yet.
• Days of Thunder 2 (TBD, rumored) — Director: unknown. Sequel hinted by Jerry Bruckheimer and industry chatter.
• Broadsword (held/expected 2025–26) — Director: Christopher McQuarrie. Cast reported: Henry Cavill, Marion Cotillard. WWII drama; schedule may shift.
• Deeper (TBA) — Director: Doug Liman (planned). Co-star: Ana de Armas. Development paused over budget concerns.
• Les Grossman (TBA) — Cruise-led spin-off from Tropic Thunder; development ongoing.

So no, he hasn’t shot a movie in orbit yet. But between a black comedy with Iñárritu, more sci-fi with Liman, and potential returns to Top Gun and Days of Thunder, 2026–2027 looks busy. If anyone is going to figure out how to make a feature in space without cratering the budget or the politics, it’s probably Cruise. Until then, strap in for jets and WWII drama instead of rockets.