Why Tom Cruise Hasn’t Worked with Disney in Decades: Inside the Hollywood Power Struggle
(Getty Images for Paramount Pictu)
Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, with nearly every major studio eager to work with him. However, there’s one notable exception: Disney. Despite his long career, Cruise hasn’t collaborated with the entertainment giant in years. In fact, the last time the Top Gun: Maverick star worked with Disney was in 1988 for the film Cocktail.
According to sources, Cruise has intentionally distanced himself from Disney due to his high standards and specific demands when it comes to marketing control and profit-sharing. An insider told In Touch, “Tom steers clear of Disney because of his own standards and demands for control of marketing and for a sizable piece of the film’s real profits.”
The insider further explained that Disney, as a matter of corporate policy, doesn’t typically agree to such demands. “That’s not a deal Disney enters into lightly, if at all, and Tom recognized that during his limited early dealings with the company,” the source added.
Despite the potential for collaboration, Disney has reportedly been unwilling to meet Cruise’s requirements, particularly when it comes to giving him creative control and a significant share of the film’s profits. “It’s not a place he pitches, and in the rare event that they pitch him a project, it doesn’t work out because Tom needs control and real profit percentage ‘points’ on the project,” the insider revealed.
As a result, Cruise’s relationship with Disney never fully developed, leaving him to work primarily with other major studios. “It’s why Tom is somewhat limited to the studios he works with – he knows Paramount, Warner Bros., and Universal are very comfortable making his financial deal work, and none of the others really are,” the source explained.
While Cruise has found success with other studios, his long absence from Disney projects underscores the high demands he brings to the table when choosing his collaborations.
