Things may be looking up in the thriller department, depending on your perspective of the Cruise-meister and the man Hollywood are desperately trying to make into the next big thing, possibly quicker than he could be possibly ready for.
The Hollywood Reporter say Avatar and Terminator Salvation’s Sam Worthington has replaced Tom Cruise in the Hollywood remake of the French spy thriller The Tourist, as Cruise (quite smartly) has chosen to reunite with Cameron Diaz for a comedy from James Mangold.
Charlize Theron is still on board as the female interpol agent who uses an American tourist (now Worthington), so that she can get rid of an elusive criminal with whom she once had an affair. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day helmer Bharat Nalluri directs, with a January start date.
The Worthington replacement might be a savvy move, as Cruise’s star power in the thriller genre has dimmed a bit, and Worthington is probably starting to get some recognition with the public. Though he’s some way away from selling movie tickets on his name/face alone. Maybe Avatar will change that?
3 Comments
This guy still feels like the cart before the horse. Back in my day, you actually had to be in a successful film before getting another movie.
Yeah, seriously, what has this guy done?
We went through this with Colin Farell (Alexander, Miami Vice) and Orlando Bloom (Kingdom of Heaven, that Cameron Crow movie).
Why does Hollywood bank so much on unproven talent? Who will be next to land hundred million dollar movies before the audience even knows there first name?
Absolutely agree. He’s got good screen charisma and is a fine actor as seen in Aussie productions like SOMERSAULT (2004) and DIRTY DEEDS (2002) so the studios are probably hoping he does a GIBSON/CROWE/JACKMAN. I thought he was the best thing in the dog’s dinner that was TERMINATOR: SALVATION. But that is faint praise indeed.
An actor though who has definitely earned the right to carry a big budget movie is JEFFERY DEAN MORGAN. He has been around for a long time and worked his way up through TV and smaller film roles. He showed assured screen presence and charisma as the COMEDIAN in WATCHMEN and showed a good balance between dark pathos and wise-crackery.