Tom Cruise's Star Power Revives Doug Liman Sci Fi Project Luna Park

Summary: Tom Cruise's star power, which equates to fifth place in the Numbers Bankability Index™ for August 2015, revives Doug Liman's sci fi project Luna Park.

Tom Cruise at Paris premiere of Edge of Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 28, 2014: Georges Biard, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Tom Cruise (born July 3, 1962) cruises through his acting/producing life with out-of-this-world success.

Having name recognition seems to be a phenomenal understatement in describing Tom Cruise's global popularity.

Tom Cruise's star power reflects the strong presence that he consistently has brought as lead actor in 33 films, especially as measured by worldwide aggregate box office receipts of $6,924,549,905.

The Numbers Bankability Index™ for August 2015 places Tom Cruise in fifth place -- preceded by Steven Spielberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp -- for the value that he brings to the film industry.

American film director and producer Doug Liman (born July 24, 1965) achieved critical and commercial success via directing Swingers. The 1996 comedy-drama sleeper hit had a low budget of $200,000 and achieved $4,555,020 in the box office. Liman sold Swingers for distribution to Miramax for $5.5 million.

Subsequent box office hits have included directing The Bourne Identity (2002), producing The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and directing Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

Doug Liman has directed Tom Cruise in two of the actor’s three most recent films. Sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow was released June 6, 2014. Crime thriller Mena is set for release on January 6, 2017.

Luna Park has been dear to Doug Liman’s heart since he first set up the untitled Moon project at DreamWorks in 2007. The stalled project then floated over to Paramount, where budget concerns shelved it in 2011.

While juggling many projects, including slated filming of Jack Reacher 2 in November 2015 and enthusiastic suggestions of Top Gun 2 in the near-future, Tom Cruise has added another film to his busy schedule by teaming with Doug Liman to make Luna Park happen. Tom’s involvement includes the starring role, which originally was intended for Jake Gyllenhaal (born Dec. 19, 1980).

The film’s plot focuses on renegades, formerly employed by a space exploration company, who steal equipment for their plan to build a spaceship and travel to the moon for an energy source. Their last act prior to launch entails kidnapping an ex-NASA employee with knowledge key to mission success.

Tom Cruise's star power shines brightly as the actor with the megawatt smile settles attractively into his fifth decade of life, with more than three decades in the film industry to his credit.

With the spate of space-themed films in Hollywood’s in-progress and projected film offerings, Luna Park intrigues with its focus on Earth’s moon rather than on the current fascinator of the Solar System, Mars. Hopefully Tom Cruise star power will shine appreciative light on Earth’s moon, in the way that films have of encouraging interest in history, nature, people and places.

For moon gazers who are Tom Cruise film moviegoers, Luna Park will provide an opportunity to paraphrase "I'll Be Seeing You." The 1938 popular song was composed by Sammy Fain (June 17, 1902-Dec. 6, 1989) and lyricist Irving Kahal (March 5, 1903-Feb. 7, 1942).

"I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing Tom Cruise."

Doug Liman at Paris premiere of Edge of Tomorrow, Friday, June 5, 2015: Georges Biard, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Tom Cruise at Paris premiere of Edge of Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 28, 2014: Georges Biard, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Cruise_avp_2014_4.jpg

Doug Liman at Paris premiere of Edge of Tomorrow, Friday, June 5, 2015: Georges Biard, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doug_Liman_avp_2014.jpg

For further information:

“Bankability Index for August, 2015.” The Numbers® > The Numbers Bankability Index™.
Available @ http://www.the-numbers.com/bankability

McClintock, Pamela. “’Jack Reacher 2’ to Test Tom Cruise’s Box-Office Allure Beyond ‘Mission: Impossible.’” The Hollywood Reporter > Movies. Aug. 12, 2015.
Available @ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jack-reacher-2-test-tom-814496

McClintock, Pamela. “Tom Cruise Sets Sights on Doug Liman’s ‘Luna Park.’” The Hollywood Reporter > Movies. Sept. 9, 2015.
Available @ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-cruise-sets-sights-doug-821486