You know how everyone jokes that Tom Cruise won't be happy until he actually dies on camera for our entertainment? Well, he almost did it. Or at least, he tried to get the paperwork in order to try. For years, the internet has been buzzing about the Tom Cruise futuristic movie that was supposed to be filmed on the International Space Station (ISS). It sounds like the final boss of his stunt career. First, he hung off a plane. Then he jumped a motorcycle off a cliff. Naturally, the only thing left is literal orbit.
But here is the thing: as of early 2026, the dream of seeing Ethan Hunt—or whoever he was going to play—actually floating in zero-G is looking pretty shaky.
What was the plan, exactly?
The project first leaked back in 2020. It wasn't just a rumor; NASA’s then-administrator Jim Bridenstine basically confirmed it on Twitter. The pitch was wild. Cruise, director Doug Liman, and SpaceX were going to team up to shoot a $200 million action-adventure. Universal Pictures was footing the bill.
The plot? Honestly, it sounded like a classic Cruise setup. He was going to play a "down-on-his-luck guy" who somehow becomes the only person capable of saving Earth. To do it, he has to go up.
Donna Langley, the head of Universal, even teased that Cruise would be the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside the ISS. Can you imagine? No green screen. No "Volume" like they use in The Mandalorian. Just Tom, a vacuum, and a very expensive insurance policy.
Why it's stuck on the launchpad
Movies get delayed all the time. Top Gun: Maverick sat on a shelf for years because of the pandemic. But this Tom Cruise futuristic movie is facing a weirder set of hurdles. It isn’t just about the money, though sending a film crew into orbit is a financial nightmare.
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Recent reports from late 2025 and early 2026 suggest the project is "grounded." Why? Politics, mostly. To film on the ISS, you need massive coordination with NASA. That requires federal sign-off. Word on the street—specifically via insiders cited by Page Six and other trade outlets—is that Cruise is hesitant to navigate the current political landscape to get the green light.
He’s famously apolitical. He doesn't do endorsements. He doesn't do "favors." If getting to space means he has to play ball with the White House or lobby for special permissions from President Trump’s administration, he might just walk away.
Then there's the Doug Liman factor. Liman is a great director, but he's not exactly known for being "easy" or "on schedule." He’s the guy who gave us Edge of Tomorrow, which is arguably Cruise’s best sci-fi work, but that production was a chaotic mess of rewrites. Reports have even surfaced that Liman might have struggled with the physical rigors required for the launch. You can't just be a good filmmaker; you have to be able to handle 3G's of force without passing out.
The "Deeper" Alternative
While the space movie is in limbo, Cruise and Liman aren't just sitting around. They’ve pivoted to something called Deeper.
It’s another Tom Cruise futuristic movie, but instead of going up, they’re going down. Way down. It’s a supernatural thriller about an astronaut (ironic, right?) who discovers something terrifying in a deep-sea trench. It’s got a $200 million budget and co-stars Ana de Armas.
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Is it a consolation prize? Maybe. But if the space project is truly dead, Deeper is where that creative energy is flowing now.
Why we’re still obsessed with Cruise in Sci-Fi
We keep track of every Tom Cruise futuristic movie because he’s one of the few stars who treats sci-fi like a prestige genre rather than just a way to sell toys. Think about his track record:
- Minority Report (2002): A masterpiece of world-building. Spielberg and Cruise predicted targeted advertising and gesture-based UI before they were real.
- Edge of Tomorrow (2014): The "Live. Die. Repeat." gimmick shouldn't have worked, but it did. It's the gold standard for modern action sci-fi.
- Oblivion (2013): Maybe a bit "style over substance" for some, but that M83 soundtrack and the clean, white aesthetic of the future were incredible.
Cruise brings a weird, intense sincerity to these roles. He doesn't wink at the camera. He really acts like he’s being chased by a three-legged alien tripod.
The reality of filming in orbit
Let’s be real for a second. Even if the politics were perfect, the logistics of a Tom Cruise futuristic movie in space are terrifying for a studio.
- Insurance: How do you insure a 63-year-old man (as of 2026) for a rocket launch? The premiums would be higher than the production budget.
- Reshoots: In Hollywood, if a scene doesn't work, you go back to the soundstage. In space, you can't just "go back." Once you're down, you're down.
- The "Gimmick" Problem: Doug Liman himself said he didn't want the movie to be a gimmick. He wanted it to be a film people watch in 100 years. But if the story is just "okay," does the fact that it was shot in space actually matter?
The Russians already beat him to the punch, anyway. They sent actress Yulia Peresild to the ISS in 2021 to film The Challenge. It was a bit of a PR stunt, but they did it. For Cruise, being second might not be enough to justify the risk.
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What should you watch instead?
If you're looking for that specific Tom Cruise futuristic movie fix and the space project never materializes, you should probably keep an eye on his collaboration with Alejandro G. Iñárritu. It’s titled Judy (or possibly Digger depending on which leak you believe), and while it’s not strictly "sci-fi," it’s being described as a high-concept, experimental project.
Also, don't sleep on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. While it’s an action movie, the "Entity" (that rogue AI villain) is pure speculative fiction. It deals with the fears we have right now about deepfakes and algorithmic control.
Actionable insights for fans
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on the next Tom Cruise futuristic movie, here is what you need to do:
- Follow NASA's ISS Schedule: If Cruise is going, it has to be on a private Axiom mission. Watch for "Axiom-5" or "Axiom-6" crew announcements.
- Track Doug Liman’s "Everest": Liman is currently finishing a film called Everest. Once that wraps, his schedule clears up for either Deeper or the space project.
- Monitor the Universal-SpaceX Contract: These deals are public-facing in trade magazines like Variety. If the contract expires without a production start date, the movie is officially dead.
The "Cruiser" isn't getting any younger, but his appetite for risk seems to be growing. Whether he ends up in a trench at the bottom of the ocean or 250 miles above the Earth, it’s going to be a spectacle. We just have to see if the red tape is stronger than his willpower.