Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise could be looking to team up with the John Wick franchise’s latest action hero in a new supernatural thriller, Deeper. Cruise’s involvement was first announced by director Doug Liman in December 2024, and the movie is said to follow an astronaut who experiences a terrifying encounter while on a deep dive in an unexplored ocean trench. The project will potentially mark the third collaboration between Cruise and Liman, who previously collaborated on the sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow and the action-comedy American Made.

Per a new report from ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, it is being suggested that Ballerina star Ana de Armas is set to join Cruise on the project, which has previously pᴀssed through multiple hands before landing Liman. According to the report, both de Armas and Cruise have recently been pH๏τographed together, and sources are intimating that the pair are currently undertaking diving training in preparation for the film. It is also expected that the film’s budget will fall within the $200 million range. Cruise’s representatives have not commented on the reports.

What This Means For Tom Cruise’s Deeper

The Underwater Thriller Has Been In Development For Years

Said to have been in various stages of development since 2016, the project first began life as a spec script penned by Bright and Shadow in the Cloud screenwriter Max Landis. Initially picked up by MGM studios, Kornél Mundruczó (Pieces of a Woman) was originally tapped to direct with Bradley Cooper in the leading role. Later iterations would also see the project fall to Baltasar Kormákur and Idris Elba, the star of Kormákur’s 2022 survival horror Beast.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅline’s report also indicates that in addition to Liman and Cruise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie is also involved with the movie’s script in some capacity. Given Cruise’s penchant for practical stunt work, something that both Liman and McQuarrie are intimately familiar with, it is not unusual that Cruise would be pushing for both himself and his potential co-star to undergo actual deep-sea dive training in preparation for their new roles.

Our Take On Cruise’s Next Collaboration With Doug Liman

The Pair Also Has An Ambitious Space Movie Planned

No stranger to tackling ambitious projects, Cruise and Liman also have long-gestating plans for an as-yet unтιтled NASA film to be sH๏τ in outer space in collaboration with SpaceX. While the status of that particular project is currently unclear, reports that Cruise and de Armas are already preparing for Deeper would indicate that this next thriller will take precedence.

Although no official announcement has been made about her involvement, de Armas is quickly proving herself a box office drawcard in her own right, with early estimates predicting a healthy $30-$40 million three-day debut for Ballerina. As such, having the action stars collaborate on what is potentially shaping up to be another major blockbuster, and Deeper will likely continue to push Cruise beyond the considerable limits that he has already shown himself capable of.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline