Mega-star team-ups are all the rage these days. We’ve got everyone who ever kicked ass in the 1990s joining forces in The Expendables 2, Arnold and Stallone raiding The Tomb shoulder to shoulder and…um…Oh God, what am I forgetting? Anyway, Warner Brothers has its sights set on creating another, reportedly hoping to convince Tom Cruise (Rock of Ages) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers….Right, of course!) to sign on for action- comedy El Presidente, which Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, HBO’s Game Change) is currently in talks to direct.
The flick would see Cruise stepping into the role of a gung-ho Secret Service agent assigned to protect a particularly reviled former President of the United States played by Downey Jr. At the moment, offers have not been made to either actor, but that could be forthcoming. Hit the jump for more.
The script for El Presidente comes from Parks and Recreation scribe Dan Goor. Per Vulture, WB execs have been particularly high on Cruise for this part after watching what he did with the role of super-rocker Stacee Jaxx in this summer’s forthcoming Rock of Ages.
I have to say, while it’s still little more than a pipe dream right now, I hope this comes together. Cruise has proven his comedic chops more than once. But even if he were to play the role totally straight, I get the sense that his Ethan Hunt shtick play well off Downey Jr. in “bumbling sleaze” mode.
In addition to Rock of Ages, Cruise’s upcoming schedule includes the already-wrapped crime drama One Shot, currently-filming sci-fi actioner Oblivion and further-off stuff like All You Need is Kill and the Van Helsing reboot. Downey, meanwhile, is gearing up to shoot Iron Man 3 with new director Shane Black.
Creator Ryan Murphy Reveals Details on AMERICAN HORROR STORY Season 3; Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters to Return
First Trailer and Poster for RED 2 Starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich
16 New Images from A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD Featuring Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney and Yuliya Snigir
Watch: How THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Should Have Ended
First Trailer for SPRING BREAKERS Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, and James Franco
Not sure if I like this pair up… RDJ is on fire right now; Cruise, not like his glory days. I would be afraid that Cruise’s ego would devour RDJ charm… Just my gut reaction.
Totally agree with you!
I agree. Robert is too great an actor to play a co-star to Tom Cruise. Just because Cruise made MI4 everyone thinks he is a great actor again -NOT! The other ensemble cast was what made that movie great. Robert’s career is doing fantastic, he can be the lead in any film he wants. Cruise needs to be left to flounder on his own. Also, I still feel that Rock of Ages will fail at the box office – just because Cruise is in it – won’t make it a hit in any way.
Robert can do better. He shouldn’t even be considering acting with a loser like Tom Cruise.
i agree with you , too !!
Having these two work off of each other could make for an extremely funny movie.
Think they would be brilliant together
Interestingly, Cruise was developing and talking about IRON MAN in interviews before RDJ took the part in the Marvel movie and made it his own…
As it was expected Cruise might take the part of Tony Stark, I think it influenced Adi Granov somewhat to draw Stark in a quite ‘Cruise-esque’ manner in the EXTREMIS storyline.
I think this will be the one RDJ movie I will skip. Cruise is one of the worst actors around and crazy nuts – RDJ doesn’t need this, INHO!
Can u imagine cruise as tony stark – horrible! Hopefully this pairing never happens!
Cruise would have been a terrible Tony Stark. I guess his ego makes him want to brag now about it? He is a terrible actor and he even knows this himself. Multiple face-lifts and other things just don’t make you a better actor. He needs to realize this.
Maybe RDJ could do this movie with johnny depp. They are friends and I think they want to do something together….