Paramount Fires Tom Cruise

Tom can go make movies for someone else, but he is not welcome at Paramount. It seems that his erratic behavior over the past year or so has soured him to the studio.

From Reuters here:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Paramount Pictures and actor Tom Cruise called an end to their 14-year production deal on Wednesday as the chairman of the studio’s parent company took a parting shot at the movie star’s off-screen behavior.

“As much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal,” Viacom Inc. Chairman Sumner Redstone told the Wall Street Journal in an interview posted online. “His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount.”

Paula Wagner, the actor’s longtime partner in his movie company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, struck back at Redstone, calling his comments about the three-time Oscar nominee “offensive” and “undignified.”

“Whatever remarks Mr. Redstone would make about Tom Cruise personally or as an actor have no bearing on what this business issue is,” she told Reuters. “There must be another agenda that the studio has in mind to take one of their greatest assets and malign him this way.”

The truth of the matter is that Tom’s contract ran out with Paramount, and the studio offered him a new contract that was considerably less than what he was currently making. So Tom quit negotiating with the studio.

And while you cannot fire anyone over religious reasons in this country, I do think that Tom’s scientology was behind what the studio described as “erratic behavior.” Rumor had it that he threatened to cancel promotions on MI:3 if Comedy Central, a division of Paramount, aired an episode of South Park that criticized scientology. As a professional, you never threaten the people that bankroll you and expect to keep your job.
I think we will soon see the “Out of the Closet” episode of South Park air very soon now that the relationship has ended.