It’s official: Tom Cruise is heading to space to film a movie.
A day after Deadline published a report saying that Cruise and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are teaming up with NASA to shoot the first narrative feature film in outer space, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has confirmed the news via Twitter.
In a tweet, Bridenstine said that the space agency is “excited” to have Cruise film the movie aboard the International Space Station. Bridenstine also added that NASA needs popular media like movies to “inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists” that would help the agency’s ambitious plans become reality.
NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality. pic.twitter.com/CaPwfXtfUv
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 5, 2020
While SpaceX has yet to release an official statement about the movie, Musk seemingly confirmed the company’s involvement in the project when he replied to Bridenstine’s tweet.
Should be a lot of fun!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2020
As expected, NASA’s confirmation of the news has delighted Tom Cruise fans, with many of them expressing their excitement about the movie on Twitter.
Wow. Not a rumor. Looking forward to this one!
— AJ (@AndrewJayabc) May 5, 2020
Wow, this is pretty insane! Can’t wait to see how this turns out!
— Ben Pearson- Roadster Tracker (@whereisroadster) May 6, 2020
Just wow !! This idea itself is very exciting to me and again my fav star @TomCruise proves there is no limit for him ??
— vigneshwaran (@vickeywaran) May 6, 2020
Wait…Tom Cruise is going to fly to the ISS with Crew Dragon? Kinda cool?
— ChristianD (@Christi26912367) May 5, 2020
Others, meanwhile, find the project promising, as it could inspire more students to love science and eventually study STEM.
Great idea – courageous & very smart. Top Gun changed my life (flew for the navy after that movie). A collaboration between science & entertainment is good for everyone & can inspire millions. Bravo.
— Christopher Michel (@chrismichel) May 5, 2020
Without a confirmed title and plot, and no studio attached, the movie is apparently in its early stages. Though it’s said to be an action-adventure film, the project is not a new installment of the Mission: Impossible film series.
Details about the movie are very limited, but it feels like the project is right up on Cruise’s alley given his history of doing his own stunt. As fans can remember, filming of 2018’s Mission: Impossible Fallout took a break after Cruise broke his ankle in a leap from one rooftop to the other. The Oscar-nominated actor also hung from the side of a jet plane during takeoff in 2015’s Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, and scaled the Dubai skyscraper Burj Khalifa in 2011’s Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol.