He was hailed the hero of Hollywood when he helped to save the movie industry during the Covid pandemic.
Now Tom Cruise seems to have come to the rescue of Tinseltown once again.
Following a bitter two-month battle, streamer Netflix this week walked away from a blockbuster bidding war for Warner Bros, one of Hollywood’s original power players.
Sources close to the project told the Daily Mail that Cruise, 63, was furious at the idea of the takeover as he suspected it would be the end of the movie industry, with films being streamed rather than released in cinemas.
Having spent three decades at rival Paramount, notching up hits such as Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible franchise, the star left for Warner Bros in January 2024.
It is said he made his feelings ‘very, very clear’ to those at the top of Warner Bros Discovery over the Netflix deal.
It is even thought to be the reason he quit London in January, moving back to the US to make his behind-the-scenes push.
Now, the path is clear for Paramount to buy Warner Bros in an £82billion deal which would be far preferable to the A-lister, given that – despite having its own streaming service – it is still committed to the big screen.
Sources close to the blockbuster bidding war for Warner Bros told the Daily Mail that Cruise was furious at the idea of the takeover as he suspected it would be the end of the movie industry
A source said: ‘Tom was really cross, furious in fact, at the idea that a streamer would take over such a prestigious film making company.
‘He was very outspoken about it – there was even a suggestion that he might go on strike if it was to happen.
‘He took it very seriously indeed and put his foot down.
‘Tom has the clout and he knows it, he likes to use his power for good and change, and now it looks like he has saved the movie industry once again from falling victim to streaming giants.
‘He disagrees with it and very much believes in funding the industry properly so it’s fair for everyone. With Paramount, they are committed to film-making – Tom has saved the day again.’
A dedicated cinephile, Cruise refused to let the pandemic shut down production, coming up with ways to film while keeping cast and crew safe.
A leaked recording revealed him shouting at workers on the set of Mission: Impossible 7, threatening to fire them if they broke the strict guidelines.
‘They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us,’ he was heard saying.
Having spent three decades at rival Paramount, notching up hits such as Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible franchise, the star left for Warner Bros in January 2024
‘We are not shutting this… movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re… gone.’
And with his sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, already in the can, he refused to let it go straight to streaming, demanding that it wait for a cinema release.
Released in 2022 – 36 years after the high-octane original – it made $1.5billion at the box office.
Despite defecting to Warner Bros, Cruise still has to work with Paramount under contracts for future projects, including another Top Gun movie and a Days Of Thunder sequel.
On Thursday, Netflix bosses Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters revealed they had pulled out of bidding for Warner Bros, the Burbank studio behind the likes of Harry Potter and classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca.
Netflix said the ‘transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval However, we’ve always been disciplined.’
Buying Warner Bros would have been ‘a “nice to have” at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price’, it added.
Warner Bros last year agreed to a takeover from Netflix for some of its assets in a £61billion deal.
Despite defecting to Warner Bros, Cruise still has to work with Paramount under contracts for future projects, including another Top Gun movie and a Days Of Thunder sequel
Paramount made a rival proposal which was initially turned down by Warner Bros, but an increased offer was made this week following a hostile takeover that went straight to shareholders.
Warner Bros chief executive David Zaslav said: ‘Once our board votes to adopt the Paramount merger agreement, it will create tremendous value for our shareholders.
‘We are excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery and can’t wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world.’
A source added: ‘It has all worked out well for Tom.’
In January, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Cruise had quit the Knightsbridge apartment where he had lived for five years after falling in love with London and the UK during the making of the Mission: Impossible films.
Despite enjoying the likes of Wimbledon and runs around Hyde Park, Cruise is understood to have returned to Los Angeles.