Tom Cruise Is Reportedly Taking Dramatic Steps To Boost Dead Reckoning's Box Office Numbers

Tom Cruise has taken on an impossible mission to boost "Dead Reckoning's" box office winnings.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruise made it a point to ensure that "Top Gun: Maverick," the long-gestating sequel to Tony Scott's 80s classic, received a theatrical release. Sticking to his guns, Cruise unleashed "Maverick" on Memorial Day weekend 2022 to critical and commercial acclaim, with the sequel emerging as the actor's biggest hit to date thanks to a $1.4 billion cume. Not only did Cruise walk away as the theatrical model's savior, but his second outing as Maverick netted the actor a $100 million payday, per Variety, further solidifying his clout as Hollywood's biggest A-lister.

Now, the actor is set to release "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," the seventh film in his marquee action franchise. Expectations are sky-high for the latest "Mission" outing. After all, the actor has to follow up "Top Gun: Maverick" and an extremely stacked summer lineup. With a budget of nearly $300 million, as per The Hollywood Reporter, "Dead Reckoning Part One" has a long way to go before it can boost profits, which is why every dollar counts.

Unfortunately, Cruise's latest mission is facing an uphill battle thanks to Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer." According to Puck, Cruise is reportedly upset that "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" will lose its IMAX screens to "Oppenheimer" when the biopic hits cinemas on July 21. Cruise's "Dead Reckoning" rushes into cinemas on July 12, giving the actor just over a week to showcase his film in the world's preferred premium format.

Puck says that Tom Cruise has been complaining about "Mission: Impossible's" short IMAX window to Paramount executives and others. While Christopher Nolan is arguably the IMAX format's number one poster child, Cruise has also advocated for it. Several of the actor's films have been shown in IMAX, including last year's "Top Gun: Maverick," which made over $100 million in that format alone. IMAX has Cruise to thank as well, as "Maverick" made the company a solid chunk of change during a key fiscal quarter in 2022, per Variety.

Unfortunately, it looks like Cruise won't get a hold of Nolan's IMAX screens, as Universal Pictures, the studio behind "Oppenheimer," locked them down all the way back when the World War II epic was dated. The possibility of a compromise being reached doesn't seem likely... "Oppenheimer" holds all IMAX screens in North America and certain territories for three weeks.

This is Cruise we're talking about – Hollywood's last great star, who never goes down without a fight. The actor is focusing on securing as many PLF (Premium Large Format) screens that aren't IMAX. Cruise has been showing "Dead Reckoning Part One" to exhibitors, with the hopes that they'll screen his flick instead of "Oppenheimer," or "Barbie," which opens on the same day as Nolan's latest. To show how serious he is, Cruise has been personally calling exhibitors and execs, pitching why "Dead Reckoning" is a better bet for them than "Barbie" or "Oppenheimer."

Tom Cruise is going even a step further. He's reportedly told his summer box office adversaries that it's a smart idea for them to give up their PLF screens or move their release dates. Of course, this won't happen, which is why all eyes are on the summer box office champion of 2023. Both June and July are filled to the brim with tentpoles and blockbusters. The sheer amount of back-to-back releases is astounding and, in a way, they're all cannibalizing one another by not giving each other enough space. Should Cruise know better? 

If he was willing to sit on "Top Gun: Maverick" for over two years, he has the ability to be flexible with "Dead Reckoning's" release date. The month of August is pretty much clear but it's too little, too late, and Cruise probably knows that. While it boasted a solid opening, "Maverick" was a film that succeeded because of its legs, not its debut. "Dead Reckoning" will probably be another smash hit for Cruise and company, which is why it's important to think long-term. Once the hype surrounding "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" dies down, it's possible that "Dead Reckoning" emerges as a summer fixture, warranting repeat viewings and legs that are comparable to "Maverick." 

As for Cruise's battle to secure as many PLF screens as possible, only time will tell if he succeeds.