December 3, 2024: Filmmaker Doug Liman has officially confirmed that Tom Cruise will star in his upcoming supernatural thriller Deeper, which is currently in early development.
The announcement was made during a recent screening of the documentary Gaucho Gaucho in New York City, where Liman shared his excitement about exploring the horror-thriller genre for the first time in his career. “I have never done one,” Liman said, noting that this would be his first foray into the space, a genre he has yet to explore, adding, “And neither has Tom.”
Deeper is set to follow an astronaut who faces a terrifying force during a deep dive into an unexplored ocean trench. The film, which has been in development for nearly a decade, was first pitched to MGM in 2016 after the studio acquired a script from screenwriter Max Landis. The project has seen several attempts to bring it to life over the years, with initial plans involving Bradley Cooper as the lead and Kornél Mundruczó as the director. There were also discussions with Idris Elba and Baltasar Kormákur at various stages, but none of these efforts came to fruition.
Now, Deeper is set up at Warner Bros., with Liman expressing his enthusiasm for finally bringing the film to the screen. However, it is still unclear whether this will be Liman’s next project, as he has other ventures in the works.
For Tom Cruise, Deeper will mark his third or fourth collaboration with Doug Liman. The two previously worked together on the successful Edge of Tomorrow and American Made. They are also reportedly working together on a groundbreaking NASA-themed film, which will be shot in outer space in collaboration with SpaceX, though details about this project remain under wraps.
In addition to Deeper, Cruise is in talks for a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR drama Days of Thunder, which will be produced by Paramount Pictures. Following the success of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Cruise is also preparing to film a new project directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu under Warner Bros. and Legendary, although details about this film have not been disclosed either.
With these exciting projects in the pipeline, both Doug Liman and Tom Cruise are clearly poised to continue their successful partnership while exploring new and diverse genres. Deeper promises to be an intriguing and high-stakes thriller, and fans can look forward to seeing the duo bring this supernatural venture to life.
