On Wednesday, Tom Cruise posted a 30 second video clip to his Twitter. In it, Tom drives to a theater, professes his excitement to return to in-person movie watching, watches Tenet with the audience and leaves the theater exclaiming how much he loved the video. Seriously, that was it – here it is:
Big Movie. Big Screen. Loved it. pic.twitter.com/DrAY5tRg5P
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 25, 2020
If you’re like me, your first thought was, “wait, is Tom in Tenet?” No, he is not, which makes it that much more curious. Why would he be promoting a film he did not produce and was not produced or distributed by any of his companies? Maybe he’s hustling for Scientology, which doesn’t think the global pandemic is anything we need to worry about. Mike Redmond at Pajiba does a good breakdown of Scientology’s “reaction” to the pandemic (I put reaction in quotes because we all know how much David Miscavige loves quotes.) And I’m sure Scientology plays a part in Tom’s stunt because it factors into everything he does. But I don’t think that‘s the main drive here.
Christopher Nolan fought to keep Tenet a large-scale, in-theater release. He argued it wouldn’t work on a smaller screen, a belief that will certainly be challenged when it comes time to make post-theater streaming money. Tom’s next blockbuster is Top Gun: Maverick, originally slated to open in June 2020, now tentatively scheduled for July 2, 2021. Maverick most definitely will be a big screen experience. So Tom’s already starting promotion by normalizing the theater experience. Not to mention, if movies aren’t in theaters, there are no big premieres. Both Top Guns shot and centered around San Diego Naval bases. They were sparing no expense for the movie’s premiere: fly overs, salutes, military bands and if I recall correctly, they were hosting at least one screening on the USS Midway, docked in San Diego Bay. It was the kind of promotion studios dream of. So Tom has fully vested interest in bring people back to watch movies in theaters. Not to mention his Mission Impossibles and that weird SpaceX project he has coming up, all of those will need a theater so Tom, being the ever-ready soldier for his own interests, is doing what he can.
As for the intelligence of actually going to a theater, he was in England where they have reopened movie theaters. The crowd look packed to me but in the final clip, it does look like the mandated empty seat rule was taken into account. And folks were wearing masks. So I’m not actually going to fault him for going to the movies there. If he was promoting this in the US, where the virus is barely being managed and theater plans have not been tested for large crowds, I would be all over him about this nonsense. But, honestly, for someone who rabidly supports an organization that eschews common sense, this was shockingly prudent on his part.
While Tom’s plug did not convince me to see Tenet, I’ll bet Christopher Nolan is readying a gift basket for him as we speak.
Summer 2020. #TopGun pic.twitter.com/4AABKxnEDv
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) February 2, 2020
F
Photo credit: Twitter and Instagram
I know he has a lot of fans, but personally, I loathe him. He is responsible for a lot of suffering with his high position in Scientology. His nice guy persona is garbage.
Totally agree. Talented actor but he’s a jerk. Totally over Tom Cruise and would never pay money to see anything he’s in. Cancelled forever in my house lol
Agree once you know how many people he has hurt I can’t enjoy his movies.
There are SO MANY reasons to loathe him. The way he treated both Katie and Nicole, the fact that he abandoned his daughter, his batshit crazy views on EVERYTHING, (especially psychiatry and psychiatric drugs) and that he belongs to a cult that kills and enslaves people. But also his right wing political beliefs. People don’t seem to realize HOW far right wing scientologists are, and I wish they did, because it would DEFINITELY affect his box office.
So he truly moved to UK,it still boggles the mind disowning Suri for that cult.
Yep. No Chiclets teeth grin will ever be big enough to change the fact that he disowned his daughter for a cult. None.
Dad of the year award…..”joke”
hmmm, UK is also not a good place to go the movies, and as much as I support my own industry, there should be other ways to bring the films to the people now. But good for Tom for wearing a mask, I guess. How does the drinking and eating function? Anyone?
Exactly, how many times do you reach for the popcorn at the movies? And if its a comedy then you have to laugh into your mask constantly? I dont think its worth the hassle.
Going to the movies is not a good idea qnywhere at this point. I mean people around the world struggle right now and we all long for normalcy but I think it would be fair to prioritise the health systems, education of our children and small businesses that will struggle and will have to take a hit of second wave, of we instead prioritise going to a theatre or a disco especially when there is so much good content you can access from the safety of your own house. I mean it’s not that much of the struggle to escape and to enjoy yourself when there are so many steaming services. I usually love Nolan movies but he is risking more and more to appear like bigger and bigger ass to the point his movies become appalling along with his character
No surprise at all. Like everything he does, pure self-promotion and self-interest.
He doesn’t want *his* big films to be the first “test” of theatre re-opening. So he wants people to get back into the habit of gathering in theaters before his are ready.
FWIW, it’s not the virus that keeps me away from seeing his films.
I’m so bored by big Boy Toy action movies that cost so much, studios can only afford to put their time and resources behind one big gamble (if you call testing/marketing every second of a project a gamble.)
For decades Hollywood produced moves at different levels of budget with different levels of expectation. Sometimes a smaller film would touch the public and take off in a big way. But even if it just did “well” — it allowed movies to be made that appealed to different types of audiences & demographics.
Now it’s all dick-measuring. Who has the biggest, meanest, baddest, loudest, most-expensive vision of machismo — and who spent the most money?
Instead of 20 movies produced at 10-15 million per, we get one movie with a budget that starts at $250 million and the studio ties their lives and their futures to it. And if it isn’t the biggest box office in the history of civilization, everybody gets fired, starting with the people involved who worked the hardest for the lowest salaries.
Forgive the rant. I’m just so sick of this mindset.
This is just stupid, dangerous and nothing more than shameless self-promotion. I loath him with the heat of a thousand suns.
View from the UK… I saw Tenet on Wednesday. In terms of safety, there were a minimum of two seats between you and the next person. I went early so there weren’t many people there. The online booking system doesn’t allow for strangers to sit next to each other. Wearing a mask was a bit odd, esp as I had coffee, but you just lift your mask long enough to sip it. Face masks are mandatory here for most indoor public spaces, as well as medical facilities.
It felt quite emotional being in a cinema again and having that shared experience. I’ve missed it.
Unfortunately Tenet was a load of pretentious hokum and I literally struggled to stay awake. But I’m looking forward to seeing other movies.
Tom Cruise… each to their own. If people have issues with him, then they need to speak up when they’re ready and able – difficult and frightening though that may be.
Oh well. Despite Tom, I bought tickets to a showing of Tenet at the Alamo Drafthouse, which has set up a drive-in theater near us. I haven’t been to a drive-in since I was in college, but this seems like a reasonably safe way to see a movie.
That would be so cool. I never got to go to a drive in as they were leaving while I was growing up. That is a smart alternative
I’m SO HOPING they revive drive-ins’ because of the pandemic. I have so many fond memories of watching James Bond movies in the back of a truck on a summer night. Yes, I just dated myself big time, lol.
Very strange to see him doing this!! The man never does anything without a return.
Not wanting to ‘defend’ him but him abandoning suri isnt only due to his syntology beliefs. Katie was actively campaigning for him to lose all access to her via daily stories in pagesix and other gossip sites. He finally gave up because it was around the hight of scientology documentaries exposing that cult (he was probably instructed to distance himself from her)
So irresponsible.
Tom Cruse has luxury of fame- certain special cleaning, precautions not to mention access to health insurance and healthcare the rest of us can only dream of. A movie is a ridiculous risk I’m not willing to die for.
This movie will have to wait for online rental.
There is NO celebrity, no endorsement or film worth Getting sick or dying for. I’ll wait a year, two years, three- don’t care.