Tom Cruise, whose Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One has opened top of the global box office charts, urged SAG-AFTRA to allow its members to publicise their projects during a strike.
The star spoke to studio and SAG-AFTRA negotiators on a Zoom call in June when he made the appeal, noting that promotional work was critical, especially at a time when the theatrical recovery is ongoing in the wake of the pandemic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise also addressed the controversial subject of generative artificial intelligence, one of the central topics of the contract renewal talks that ended without resolution last week, triggering Friday’s SAG-AFRA strike.
The star also talked about the Guild’s demands on behalf of the stunt community, although no further details were forthcoming. Screen has confirmed the Zoom took place.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One grossed $235m worldwide over the weekend and Hollywood executives are hoping the tentpole becomes one of the summer’s heavy hitters. Heading into the weekend, summer box office to date trailed that of 2019 by 18.7%.
Earlier this year Steven Spielberg told Cruise he “saved Hollywood’s ass” after Top Gun: Maverick grossed $1.49bn in theatres around the world in 2022.
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