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Tom Cruise and Sam Raimi Working Together on Sleeper?!

by Alex Billington
August 19, 2008

Yep it's true. Sam Raimi is producing an adaptation of Wildstorm's "Sleeper" comic book with Tom Cruise apparently "loosely attached" to star. Obviously Cruise's involvement is not set in stone, but his interest has boosted this comic book adaptation into the spotlight. The story centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group, named Miss Misery. Reminds me a lot of Pitt and Jolie's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Raimi is producing the film alongside of Josh Donen separate from his horror company Ghost House Pictures.

Sleeper The biggest issue with this project lies in complicated rights issues. Everyone is familiar with the Watchmen case that Warner Brothers is currently fighting, and considering DC Comics is a Warner Brothers company, they're being a bit more sensitive this time. "Sleeper" is actually a spin-off series from a comic called "WildC.A.T.s" and also features characters from another spin-off comic called "Gen 13." Rights to both of those comics have already been scooped up by other studios previously, even before DC Comics bought "Sleeper" in 1999. Both Sony and Regency previously passed up adapting the comic due to these rights issues. No writer or director has been attached yet.

That headline is a bit deceiving, because Sam Raimi producing and Tom Cruise starring doesn't necessarily mean we're going to see anything amazing. Raimi is a solid producer, but he's a better director. Cruise needs some good roles and after Tropic Thunder, I'm looking forward to what career choices he makes next. "Sleeper" definitely seems like a great move in the right direction, although I'm always up for anything action-packed starring Tom Cruise (another Mission: Impossible directed by J.J. Abrams again anyone?). AICN says the comic "is a powerful read" and is "one hell of a tragic, yet inspiring, exciting, yet introspective story." Should be an interesting project to watch develop, with or without Cruise starring. Anyone else?

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Drew

I'm with you on another Mission Impossible with Cruise and Abrams, but Paramount has made it clear that they want nothing to do with Cruise. That's too bad because I thought MI3 was the best of the series.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I think Tom Cruise really has to side-step from these action roles right now and delve into maybe drama or comedy, heck, even horror or musical! He is getting a little bit old now to be constantly doing these roles and like in Tropic Thunder, he is a real Tugg Speedman. Cruise needs to diversify (not sure if it is a word, but go with it) before he loses out on all of his roles (but like he needs the money). I don't mind an old action star (ie. Harrison Ford), but atleast he has other career options if another action role doesn't come his way.
LW

Thanks for the big'ol spoiler #2 >_>
Bobby

Cruise may be getting older, but Mission Impossible III was a fantastically entertaining film (sans defibrillator). I would love to see him do another or stay in these kind of roles while also diversifying with roles like what I'm expecting from Valkyrie. Either way, he is starting to look a little Kurt Russell.
WaterFunk

Evil Dead 4: Bruce Campbell vs. Tom Cruise ... go Ash.. kick his celebrity ass!
Darrin

no for m:i 3 . that movie didn't stay true to the series
Curits

I thought Mission Impossible three was great really entertaining and fun. Im still a big fan of Cruise and enjoy his movies. This sounds interesting with or without cruise staring but it would be great if he did.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=137086138 Shero

Give me one fucking reason ( prove it ) why M.I 3 was bad ? Give me one fucking role of Tom Cruise that is not good ( prove it ) ? I will give you 1000 proves that you are the biggest Idiot on this planet !!!! ( Don't number Austin Powers in Goldmember because his role in that movie was short ... !!! ) By the way I don't want to look like his agent or lawyer but I want to be real and say the truth ...I hated when he knee before Adam Sandler to give him the MTV award ... but come on let's we be real ... Tom is not a bad actor ... and I am sure these of you who say no for M:I 4 ....you will go and watch that movie if one day it come out ... ! He is old for action movies ? what is that mean : did you watch the making of M:I 3 ? go watch it and then come and say he is not doing most of his stunts ...
RStewie

I'm probably waving a red flag in the face of Shero, but this sounds like an awesome concept that I would have to miss out on if Tom Cruise were to play it. He's on my write-off list so far as theater movies, and I'll only rent/Netflix his movies if people I know and trust swear on a legally-binding document that the movie is good. He's just gotten too weird for me, and that overshadows EVERY movie I try to watch him in. Also, in case that wasn't enough, in response to Shero: 1. I dislike sequels that break from the traditional storyline of the previous ones in order for some egomaniac actor to live out his spy-wife-saving fantasies. 2. Umm...War of the Worlds, anyone? 3. Bring it.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=137086138 Shero

1- You dislike ? has nothing to do with a movie been bad or not ! What traditional story line ? do you think that these 3 movies are a sequel ? non of them has anything to do with the other . egomanic !!???? that is hate ! why he is egomaniac actor ? 2- War of the World !!!??? Do you know who direct the movie too !!!??? that mean all the other directors take out the best of Tom Cruise but Steven Spielberg couldn't do that ? 3- I don't want to say anything bad about you because at least you explain some points but I really do for some others who just hate an actor and just want to broke his name for no reason ...otherwise the reason that you gave and the movie you chose were not good enough to make Tom to be that Bad ... Now ... I really look like his agent and his lawyer
Lauren

I thought that that said "Tom Cruise and Sam Raimi Sleeping Together?!" Wow. I'm glad I misread.
RStewie

1. Maybe I stated that wrong. MI3 was a great action movie, but it was NOT a great MI movie. I mean, really, at what point did that franchise move away from "spy game movie" to "vigilante hero rescues maiden/wife/distressed woman"?? That was completely wrong for the franchise, completely outside of the focus of the previous movies, and really, was a serious disappointment in the theater, especially when the movie-goer realizes that, instead of seeing a team of spies running around and using cool spy equipment and doing cool spy stuff, we're instead going to watch Tom Cruise live out his personal fantasies of rescuing Katie Holmes in some kind of wild spy-themed vigilante movie. (Hence the term egomaniac.) 2. I know who directed it. That movie sucked. Minority Report was good, with Spielberg and Cruise, but lets face it. War of the Worlds was an epic fail in terms of cohesive storytelling. 3. Thank you for not degenerating into childish tantrums. I used to like Cruise. I watched all his movies. But lately... ...
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=137086138 Shero

1- As you said maybe it was not the best of the MI movies but again it was good action movie ... Me too I was not so into that wife stuff .... but that movie was made for making money and it is normal that have no real focus on that moments...as the spot on the fights and the mission it self ... 2- Again ...I don't want to be like a man who just keep defending his words no matter what ...but I can say the same like you : come one let's we face it ....in stead of that I will remind you why people hated that movie because it is not normal to to hate a Steven Spielberg's movie Am I right ? The scary movie that they made after this movie has one point to make a fun from Tom Cruise and the entire movie ... and of course in the same time we saw Tom jumping like a crazy over Opera ... and even they used that in the movie " Scary movie " too ... do I have to mention that Tom looks so young to be a father specially for the son ..because he was like : come on father don't take my girlfriend ( see I even can make a joke of Tom Cruise ) but the point is was Tom bad in that movie or his character was not in the right time and right movie ? it is not the guilt of Tom in this point of view ... and again for me I am sure that Spielberg is clever enough to see if Tom is bad for that or not specially after Minority Report ... 3- Don't thank me ...I even don't like such stuff ...and some times I write just to motivate some one to give me real reason because a lot are just saying Yes ...No ..I hate that I love that and they don't explain anything ...but some times you can understand when some one really have what to say ... and he/she is not here just to see the world burn ...but they are here to give reasonable discussion ... After all I don't say Tom have no mistakes .. ( I said it before that I hated when he knee in front of Sandler to give him the MTV award )...I am just saying it is not right to delete that person and put him in a garbage bag just because he had 2 bad movies... or and forget all about his other 20 movies !!! Thanks again