Tom Cruise vs Donald Trump: Why They’re at Odds — And the Canceled Movie Twist

Tom Cruise really was trying to top himself by shooting a movie in actual space. Now that moonshot is off the launchpad, and not because of budgets or safety. The short version: he reportedly would not ask Donald Trump for help, and without that political nudge, the government pieces never lined up. Wild idea, surprisingly basic reason.

What this space movie was supposed to be

Back in 2020, Cruise and director Doug Liman hatched a plan to film in orbit — potentially on the International Space Station. SpaceX would provide the ride, which, like every launch, needs FAA approval. NASA coordination was essential. Universal Pictures kicked the tires. For a minute, it looked real.

The early green light that faded

The initial momentum came courtesy of then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, a Trump appointee, who publicly cheered the idea. That supportive tweet? Gone now. And according to space industry folks, once that public backing disappeared, the quiet internal NASA chatter vanished with it. SpaceX never commented. Reps for Cruise and NASA declined to say anything either.

Why it stalled, per the whisper network

According to Page Six, Cruise did not want to ask the Trump White House for help, even though the movie would have needed exactly that kind of federal coordination. He has kept his public persona studiously nonpolitical for decades, largely to avoid alienating moviegoers. In this case, that approach may have cost him the liftoff.

"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. Tom didn't want to ask for political reasons."

Meanwhile, practical hurdles piled up. There was even a rumor that Liman failed a physical. Another source pushed back on that, saying the 60-year-old director is in great shape. Either way, the logistics were a beast, and without government air cover, the project drifted into the void.

The broader Cruise vs. Trump tension

This is not the first time Cruise has swerved away from a Trump-adjacent moment. The Washington Post reported he declined a 2025 Kennedy Center Honor that Trump personally oversaw, citing scheduling conflicts. At the time, Cruise was out promoting 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' and juggling multiple 2026 projects. Trump pitched those honors as top-tier, with honorees like Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford, and George Strait on the list.

"I turned down plenty. They were too woke. I had a couple of wokesters."

Cruise, for his part, tends to steer around political talk entirely. Asked during a Korean press junket about Trump-era tariffs and production costs, he shut it down.

"We'd rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you."

Quick timeline

• 2020: Cruise and Doug Liman float a plan to film in orbit, maybe on the ISS; SpaceX is the likely ride; Universal is interested.
• 2020: Trump-appointed NASA chief Jim Bridenstine publicly backs the idea. That tweet is later deleted.
• Post-2020: With the public endorsement gone, space insiders say NASA discussions quietly fizzle. SpaceX never weighs in. Cruise and NASA reps decline comment.
• Rumors circulate about Liman failing a physical; another source says he is fit, end of story.
• 2025: Per the Washington Post, Cruise turns down a Trump-run Kennedy Center Honor, citing schedule, while promoting 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' and lining up 2026 work.
• Now: Per Page Six, Cruise refused to ask Trump for a favor to grease the space-movie wheels. Without the political assist, the project is dead.

So, is it really scrapped?

Yeah. With the NASA support gone, no comments from SpaceX, and the star unwilling to make a political ask, insiders say this one is over. It is a strangely Hollywood ending: the guy famous for doing the impossible hit a wall that had nothing to do with physics and everything to do with optics. If you were hoping to see Cruise do barrel rolls in microgravity, it is time to make peace with the IMAX version on Earth.