Tom Cruise Is a Control Freak and Ruined ‘The Mummy’

The rebooted The Mummy, which stars Tom Cruise and is part of Universal Pictures’ vision for a “Dark Universe” franchise, opened in American theaters recently. Despite netting $32 million, it still got its ass kicked by Wonder Woman. Some people are pointing their fingers at the leading man with some whispering that he took way too much creative control. Apparently, his ego’s out of control, since he’s called a “young man” in the movie. Yeah, maybe if he met the ancient “He chose… poorly” Knight Templar from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Universal is showing public support for Cruise, issuing statements like:

“Tom approaches every project with a level of commitment and dedication that is unmatched by most working in our business today. He has been a true partner and creative collaborator, and his goal with any project he works on is to provide audiences with a truly cinematic moviegoing experience.”

You can almost hear their eyes rolling behind the PR-speak. It’s not like they are going to badmouth him in public. No stars do.

The thing that everyone seems to be dancing around is that Cruise might have ruined everything with his micromanaging. He’s not the same Cruise that he was in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Scientology’s Golden Boy is still a star, but his luminosity has faded… in America, at least. He’s still box-office gold overseas, which is what can help keep The Mummy from taking a complete bath. Still, if he wants to keep the crown on in Hollywood, he’s going to have to do a lot better.

Let’s be honest – staying at the top of the movie star heap is VERY difficult now. It’s a very different mindset and while some leading actors can make bank, special effects and other considerations curtail salaries. Jim Carrey, who could practically print money in the 1990’s, is now trying to climb his way back. It’s the way of Hollywood. Cruise may learn, like some football coaches who also took on a general manager’s duties, that wearing too many hats can hurt the overall product. If he stays this course, he’s going to have to eat all the hats.