In 2022 WarnerMedia unit and Discovery merged to form Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which led Chief Executive David Zaslav to witness the company’s combined finances turning into a complete mess. Thus, ever since then the CEO has been on a cutthroat mission to prioritize free cash flow and pay off the company’s debts.
In an attempt to slash the company’s heavy debt and restore Warner Bros. to its glory days, David Zaslav implemented a strategy and signed a deal with Hollywood’s most bankable star Tom Cruise. While studio execs have mixed opinions about the non-exclusive pact with Cruise, Zaslav is optimistic. Meanwhile, Paramount appears to be on their final attempt to allegedly win back the actor with their plans to develop Top Gun 3.
Also read: “Tom Cruise vs AI fighter jets”: Top Gun 3 Confirmed, Fans are Already Making Wild Theories
David Zaslav’s Deal With Tom Cruise to Restore Warner Bros.
Witnessing a major downfall and heavy debts, CEO David Zaslav has been trying his best to restore Warner Bros. to its glory days. Starting from scratch and prioritizing free cash flow, Zaslav even took brutal steps like thousands of layoffs, to succeed in his cutthroat mission of slashing the company’s debt.
Recently, according to The Hollywood Reporter, David Zaslav implemented a strategy of restoring Warner Bros by signing a non-exclusive pact with Tom Cruise. The duo signed a deal to work together starting in 2024, to keep movies and theaters alive. According to studio execs, this deal was signed to bag the star by offering his movies a stable home, especially since he has been facing issues with Paramount Pictures, lately.
However, Warner Bros. execs have mixed opinions about the deal, since a few believe David Zaslav and Tom Cruise have opposing ideologies. While Zaslav is working to slash the company’s heavy debt, exces points out that Cruise is known for prying wallets open. “Good luck to them with Tom” shared an executive who worked with Cruise.
Meanwhile, another veteran executive noted that this deal could have a positive impact on Warner Bros. as it drags the Studio to people’s good books, especially because of their association with an established actor like Tom Cruise. Execs believe this pact with Cruise will propel WB’s position in the entertainment industry and turn it into a reliable home, solving their issues with debts.
Paramount Plans to Win Back Tom Cruise With Top Gun 3
Amid Warner Bros’ headline-making deal with Tom Cruise and executives’ opinions about the same, Paramount Pictures appears to be trying hard to win back the actor. Way before Cruise leaned towards Warner Bros., the actor had a long-standing relationship with Paramount without any sort of formal deal. But over time, Cruise grew frustrated with the way the Studio dealt with him on a number of issues.
Simultaneously, as per The Hollywood Reporter, even Paramount Pictures had issues with Tom Cruise because of his tendency to change his mind mid-filming, which tends to bust the budget. But since the studio is a melting ice cube, they are currently trying their best to have a bankable star like Cruise on their team. But now that the actor signed a deal with Warner Bros., Paramount appears to be figuring out ways to win back Cruise.
Currently working with Paramount Pictures for his latest and probably the last Mission: Impossible movie, according to Deadline reports, Tom Cruise is being reportedly held back for some time by the studios with a rather new project. It’s none other than the third installment of Top Gun, that Paramount is planning to develop after Mission: Impossible in an attempt to keep Cruise busy with them.
