Redstone OKs Cruise For "Mission Impossible 4"

SEOUL, South Korea — Entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone said Tuesday he has no objection to Tom Cruise starring in the next segment of the popular "Mission Impossible" movie series, despite cutting his relationship with the actor in 2006.

Redstone _ executive chairman and controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. _ ended a 14-year relationship with Cruise and his producing partner in August 2006, kicking them off the Paramount Pictures lot and ending their lucrative deal to develop projects for the studio.

Despite the severed relationship, Cruise, 45, is in talks with Paramount to star in a fourth "Mission: Impossible" film. Viacom is Paramount's parent company.

"I consider Tom Cruise a great actor and a good friend," Redstone said. "And if Paramount decides _ and they will make the decision _ to move ahead with him, I will not object."

Redstone, who was seen dining with Cruise in Beverly Hills in March, was responding to a reporter's question after a speech at a conference in South Korea.

When Redstone cut the relationship with Cruise he cited the actor's "recent conduct." Their split came after Cruise jumped on a couch while he was a guest on Oprah Winfrey's TV show and had a tussle with "Today" show host Matt Lauer over antidepressant drugs.

The 84-year-old Redstone said Tuesday that he did not know if Cruise would be chosen for the film.

"That's up to Brad Gray, who runs Paramount," Redstone said. "He will make the decision.

Comments

[TJS]

Good Morning, Mr. Cruise. This is Xenu... Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to convince audiences that you are mentally stable, heterosexual, and a member of a mainstream legitimate religion. If you or any of your Scientology handlers are caught performing a cheap P.R. stunt, the Church of Scientology will smear your critics... The Thetans in your brain will self-destruct in sixty-seconds... Good luck, Tom.

[MaracaKabob]

I am fat slob sitting alone in front of my computer in my crappy apartment eating potato chips, and I'd like to add a few negative comments about Tom Cruise.
Here goes...
Tom, you are a crazy man and I don't like your movies.
Oh, I feel better now.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Oooooooo goodie! Another overdone, overused, over the top flop from Hollywood!

[Chandidevi]

Tom, Since you seem to think you have some kind of "mission" in life, why don't you address the homeless issue in this country? Or is that against your "religion"? I hear there are many who are living on the streets, right around your movie studios...sleeping on sidewalks with their shopping carts filled with their life's belongings...their life's belongings. Do you step over them and think to yourself that they are responsible for the mess in which they find themselves? Why don't you take on that issue and create a nationwide movement to DISAPPEAR homelessness and poverty in this country??? Now, that's a REAL MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Why don't you take it on, Cruise? They would probably throw you out of Scientology, which appeals to uneducated people, most of whom clean toilets as they are brainwashed into believing Hubbard is God...Hubbard, a paranoid schizophrenic who died a raving maniac. Please put your power where it can do some good...it's not doing any good where it is now...focused on you and your cult.. You are more powerful than Scientology itself. I hope you realize that. So, use your power to do some good. If I were in L.A., I would join you.

[ENK727]

So true... do something good... forget about making more cheesy movies that no one really cares if they see or not. Do we really need a Mission Impossible 4... give me a break!!

[Chandidevi]

Cruise is trying to restore his image, after his crazy couch stint. Who really cares about Tom Cruise? He's a self-absorbed typical Hollywood movie star who does every role in the same way.

[filo]

"And if Paramount decides _ and they will make the decision _ to move ahead with him, I will not object."


Translation: If he makes me a ton of money that's all that matters.

[MikeDu]

Should someone mention that Mission Impossible 1, 2, and 3 were all embarrassingly unwatchable dreck? to parphrase a line from the true classic film "Chinatown", with the passage of time politicians, ugly buildings and old whores become respectable. Same goes for crappy movies.