Universal has agreed to finance Tom Cruise's untitled film that will shoot in space, committing $200 million to the unprecedented project.
According to Deadline, Cruise, director Doug Liman, Mission: Impossible 7 director Christopher McQuarrie and producer PJ van Sandwijk pitched the film to the studio over Zoom. Since there is still no script, the $200 million is an estimate, as Liman's draft could require more funding.
Space X's Elon Musk and NASA will be partners in the project, while McQuarrie will serve as a story advisor and producer. Cruise, Liman and van Sandwijk will also produce.
Cruise is no stranger to dangerous stunts. He climbed a mountain in Moab, Utah for Mission: Impossible 2, piloted a helicopter during a chase sequence in Mission: Impossible: Fallout, held his breath for three minutes underwater for Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation and climbed Dubai's Burj Khalifa for Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
Before he heads to space, Cruise will have to finish filming the seventh and eighth installments in the Mission: Impossible franchise. The two films were delayed due to the coronavirus, pushing each movie's release date by a few months.