Tom Cruise shelves his space film, refuses to ask a favour from President Donald trump: Report

A source told Page Six that Cruise required federal government approval for the project, which involved NASA coordination.

Tom Cruise has been making headlines for his ambitious space film, but according to recent reports, the project has now been shelved.

The Hollywood star reportedly chose not to seek a crucial favour from US President Donald Trump, which was necessary to move the film forward, as reported by Page Six.

A source told Page Six that Cruise required federal government approval for the project, which involved NASA coordination. “From what I understand, they would need NASA coordination to do the movie, and supposedly, Tom Cruise did not want to ask Donald Trump for a favor,” the source said, adding that the actor was reluctant to do so for political reasons.

The space-set film first drew attention in 2020 when NASA confirmed it was working with Cruise on an untitled project planned to be shot aboard the International Space Station.

Then–NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine had shared his excitement in a now-deleted post, stating that NASA was “excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station!” He added, “We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality,” according to Page Six.

Around the same time, Deadline reported that Cruise was collaborating with Elon Musk and NASA, with Doug Liman attached as director. Liman had previously worked with the actor on American Made and Edge of Tomorrow.

Tom Cruise was also recently honoured with an Academy Honorary Award for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning at the 16th Governors Awards. The award was presented to him byfilmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, with whom he is set to collaborate for his next project.

According to The Washington Post, Cruise also recently turned down a 2025 Kennedy Center honour from President Trump, citing “scheduling conflicts.”

Meanwhile, the actor is currently working on his next project with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.