Tom Cruise may be stepping back into one of his loudest, hairiest, and most outrageous roles to date: Les Grossman, the bald, gold-chain-wearing studio exec from Tropic Thunder. And this time, the character could be front and center.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie confirmed that discussions about a standalone Les Grossman movie aren’t just idle chatter. “The conversations we’ve had about Les Grossman are so fucking funny,” McQuarrie said. “We’re talking about it, we’re having very serious conversations about it, and how best to do it. It ultimately comes down to what that character is.”

Cruise introduced Les Grossman in 2008’s Tropic Thunder, where the grotesque studio executive stole scenes with hilarious foul-mouthed tirades and surreal dance moves. Though initially a bit part, Grossman quickly became a fan favorite—a bizarre blend of Hollywood satire and full-throttle absurdity.
While working on the latest Mission: Impossible film, McQuarrie said the idea of Grossman kept creeping back in, often as a way to blow off steam. “We don’t even think about the structure, we play with scenes,” he said. “Just to be sitting at a breakfast table, not talking about the movie we’re making for a minute, is such decompression. And just riffing with Tom playing Les Grossman at the table, it was one of the real joys of making this movie. It was all the stuff we were doing, planning the future while slugging out the present.”

There’s no script yet, no official greenlight, but there is clearly momentum—and interest. Cruise’s long-standing collaboration with McQuarrie has yielded box office gold, and their latest project, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, is no exception. The film posted a franchise-best opening of $63 million over Memorial Day weekend, hitting $77 million across the extended holiday frame.
Les Grossman was never meant to steal the show in 2008’s Tropic Thunder, but he did. A solo return, with Cruise behind it, wouldn’t be a long shot.
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