Both Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johansson are some of the biggest stars in the film industry with talent that knows no limits. Whether it is Tom Cruise putting his life at risk for his films or the fact that Scarlett Johansson can pull off any role, the two actors rank high on Hollywood’s list of unforgettable actors.
With that being said, it is truly a shame that the two have never starred in a film together. However, it is not as if they aren’t up for it. Scarlett Johansson and Tom Cruise have each shown their interest in collaborating on a project. In fact, they almost worked together in Mission: Impossible III before Scarlett Johansson had to let go of the project.
Scarlett Johansson and Tom Cruise Want to Collaborate
Scarlett Johansson is ready for the release of her newest film, Asteroid City which releases nationwide on June 23. During the New York City premiere of the film, Johansson was asked about which actor she would like to work with; someone with whom she hasn’t worked with yet. She replied, “I’d love to work with Tom Cruise.”
Her feelings are definitely not one-sided as Tom Cruise, too, wants to work with the actress. During the Rome premiere of his upcoming film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Cruise told The Hollywood Reporter,
“Absolutely…She’s amazing. There’s a great actress and a movie star. Yes. It’s gonna happen. Look, I’ve watched her career her whole life. She’s enormously talented, very charismatic. It’d be fun. She could do everything. She could do comedy, drama, action, suspense. She’s someone that really draws you in on the screen, on camera. So absolutely, it’s gonna happen.”
We are definitely going to be waiting for a Cruise-Johansson collaboration. It’s too bad they didn’t get to see Mission: Impossible III through together.
When Scarlett Johansson and Tom Cruise Were Almost in a Film
Since Mission: Impossible has been a fan-favorite franchise for a while now, fans were quite excited about the release of the franchise’s third film. Unfortunately, Mission: Impossible III faced major speed bumps along the way.
First David Fincher was brought in to direct the film. When that didn’t work out, Cruise got Joe Carnahan on board who wrote the film’s script. Unfortunately, Robert Towne was asked to rewrite the script and this did not sit right with Carnahan who thought it was “bad and uninspiring” (via Grantland). The filmmaker eventually detached his name from the film.
Finally, JJ Abrams took on the role and saw it through. However, Abrams’ did not know if some of the actors in the team were even needed for the film. This included Carrie-Ann Moss, Kenneth Branagh, and Johansson. Johansson had already begun her physical training for the film.
Carnahan stated in an interview,
“The script was rewritten. I’m a huge fan of each actor that they cast originally, but to have kept the actors when we are reinventing the story would have been an odd process. To say, ‘Write a script with these people in mind for characters that haven’t been written,’ just felt like we had to start over with a clean state.”
The confusion, script changes, and schedule delays prompted Johansson to eventually step back from the project. Had things worked out with Carnahan, perhaps we would’ve already gotten our Cruise-Johansson collab. Oh well, maybe some other time!
On the other hand, there were rumors that the problems with films weren’t at all the reason why Johansson had to let go of the project. According to a report, the Black Widow actress walked out of the film after Cruise tried to invite her to join his Church of Scientology, although, this might not have any truth to it, whatsoever.
You can stream Mission: Impossible III on Paramount+.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
