Tom Cruise to split with business partner Paula Wagner
August 15th, 2008 - 10:12 am ICT by IANS ( 1 comment )DPA
Los Angeles, Aug 15 (DPA) Tom Cruise is splitting from his long-time business and production partner Paula Wagner, who is resigning as chief executive of United Artists, the legendary studio that the pair was trying to revive, the Hollywood Reporter said Thursday. The report said the development marks the end of the Cruise/Wagner partnership, which has been one of the tightest in Hollywood since 1993. But publicly both sides are insisting they will continue to work on projects together.
A joint MGM-UA statement late Wednesday said Wagner will continue to be a part owner of UA and hold a significant stake in the company’s future success.
“Nothing will change in regard to Cruise’s involvement with UA, and he continues to have a substantial ownership interest in the company. Furthermore, Cruise and Wagner will continue to work on film projects together,” the statement said.
Wagner and Cruise took over United Artists in 2006 as the controversial star and Scientology advocate looked to reverse a string of box office disappointments.
However their first two projects at the legendary studio founded in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin have been dogged with problems. The Iraq War polemic “Lions for Lambs” earned just $15 million at the box office, while Cruise’s current project the Hitler assassination drama “Valkyrie” has been repeatedly postponed and is now scheduled for release this December in the US.
The split of Cruise and Wagner came just two weeks after Wagner’s husband Rick Nicita, also split with the star, with many in Hollywood seeing the development as a reflection of Cruise’s unhappiness with the downward spiral his career seems to be taking.
DPA
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Tags: charlie chaplin, current project, disappointments, downward spiral, film projects, hitler assassination, hollywood reporter, iraq war, legendary studio, lions for lambs, mgm ua, ownership interest, paula wagner, production partner, scientology, time business, tom cruise, unhappiness, united artists, valkyrie
August 16th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Two Tom Cruise quotes, Jack Black: “You know why he was so good? ’Cause he trained for it,” Black said. “He researched it just like he does all his dramas and his other film roles. He brought the same scientific intensity… He is the surprise of the summer.” And “The fact that he came in and (in) six days of shooting made that kind of impact? I’d say per hour, he was the big winner in ‘Tropic Thunder,’” Downey Jr. said. “I’ll tip my hat to Tom.” - MSNBC
TC is a great actor. People need to forget the hype and just open their eyes. Even what he says on psychiatry, Scientology, drugging kids… just listen and check out what he says for yourself. Then you know if it’s true or not.