Cruise/Wagner Productions
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Industry | Film |
---|---|
Founded | July 1992 |
Founder | Tom Cruise Paula Wagner |
Defunct | August 2008 |
Fate | Partnership dissolved |
Successor | TC Productions |
Headquarters | United States |
Owner | Tom Cruise Paula Wagner |
Cruise/Wagner Productions, also abbreviated as C/W Productions, was an American independent film production company. It was founded by actor Tom Cruise and his agent Paula Wagner in July 1992.[1][2][3] Wagner had been representing Cruise for eleven years before the formation of C/W Productions.[2][3] The company has grossed more than $2.9 billion in box office proceeds since its inception.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Cruise/Wagner Productions was formed to give Cruise more creative freedom over his film projects and to give him the opportunity to produce and direct motion pictures.[3] In October 1992, Cruise/Wagner Productions signed an exclusive three-year multi-picture financing and distribution deal with Paramount Pictures.[10][11] The deal was renewed and expanded several times over the next fourteen years. In August 2006 Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom (parent company of Paramount Pictures) terminated that relationship citing Cruise's comments in the media about psychiatry, anti-depressants and Brooke Shields' handling of postpartum depression, and his taking up Scientology.[5][6][7][8][9][12] However, the termination may have been more about money than anything else.[9][13][14] Within a week, Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins and two hedge funds, secured financial backing to buy the company.[7][12][15][16]
In November 2006, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) came to Cruise/Wagner with a deal that gave them a percentage of the ownership in United Artists (UA) in an effort to revive the floundering production company.[4][9] This deal fell apart when Wagner left the studio in August 2008.[17][18][19][20]
Productions
[edit]Feature films
[edit]Year | Title | Director | Distributor | Budget | Box office | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Mission: Impossible | Brian De Palma | Paramount Pictures | $80 million | $457.7 million | Installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. |
1998 | Without Limits | Robert Towne | Warner Bros. | $25 million | $777,423 | |
2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | John Woo | Paramount Pictures | $125 million | $546.4 million | Installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. |
2001 | The Others | Alejandro Amenábar | Dimension Films/Miramax Films | $17 million | $209.9 million | |
Vanilla Sky | Cameron Crowe | Paramount Pictures | $68 million | $203.4 million | Remake of Open Your Eyes. | |
2002 | Narc | Joe Carnahan | $6.5 million | $12.6 million | ||
Minority Report | Steven Spielberg | 20th Century Fox | $102 million | $358.4 million | ||
2003 | Shattered Glass | Billy Ray | Lionsgate Films | $6 million | $2.9 million | |
The Last Samurai | Edward Zwick | Warner Bros. | $140 million | $456.8 million | ||
2004 | Suspect Zero | E. Elias Merhige | Paramount Pictures | $27 million | $11.4 million | |
2005 | War of the Worlds | Steven Spielberg | $132 million | $603.9 million | Remake of The War of the Worlds. | |
Elizabethtown | Cameron Crowe | $45 million | $52 million | |||
2006 | Ask the Dust | Robert Towne | — | $2.5 million | ||
Mission: Impossible III | J. J. Abrams | $150 million | $398.5 million | Installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. | ||
2007 | Lions for Lambs | Robert Redford | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (United States) 20th Century Fox (International) |
$35 million | $63.2 million | |
2008 | The Eye | David Moreau and Xavier Palud | Paramount Pictures Lionsgate Films |
$12 million | $56.7 million | Remake of The Eye. |
Death Race | Paul W. S. Anderson | Universal Pictures | $45–65 million | $76 million | Installment of the Death Race franchise. | |
Valkyrie | Bryan Singer | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (United States) 20th Century Fox (International) |
$75–90 million | $201.5 million |
Developed projects
[edit]- Criminal Conversation (1993, Iain Softley)[21][22]
- Timejumpers (1997)[23]
- Metamorphosis (1997)[24]
- The Five Year Plan (1997, Phillip Kerr)[24]
- Earth, Wings, and Fire (1997)[25]
- In the Blue Light of African Dreams (1997)[25]
- Untitled Phil Spector biopic (1997, Cameron Crowe)[26]
- Sylvia (1997, Lawrence Kasdan)[27]
- I Married a Witch (1998, Danny DeVito)[28][29]
- Touching the Void (1998)[30]
- The Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998)[31]
- The Higher Ground (1999, Jim Sheridan)[32]
- Meet the Shaggs (1999)[33]
- A Firing Offense (2000)[34]
- Sunrise at Hastings (2000)[35]
- Night Train (2000, William Friedkin)[36]
- The War Magician (2001, Peter Weir)[37][38]
- Ghost Soldiers (2002, Steven Spielberg)[39]
- The Bridge (2002)[40]
- Carter Beats the Devil (2002, Robert Towne)[41]
- The Light at the End of the Chunnel (2002)[42]
- Bondswoman's Narrative (2002)[43]
- 17 Stone Angels (2002)[44]
- The Devil in the White City (2003, Kathryn Bigelow)[45]
- The Few (2003, Michael Mann)[46]
- Untitled Peter Landesman script (2004)[47]
- The Devil's Banker (2004)[48]
- One Shot (2005)[49]
- The Fall of the Warrior King (2006)[38]
References
[edit]- ^ "Cruise makes a picture deal". NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Lima News. November 4, 1992. p. A4.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on July 13, 1992 · Page 152". Newspapers.com. 13 July 1992. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Tom Cruise forms his own film company". Evening Standard. Newspapers.com. July 14, 1992. p. 12. ISSN 2041-4404. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
Scroll down to 'Show 12 article text'
- ^ Jump up to: a b "MGM Partners With Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner to Form New United Artists". Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. PR Newswire. 2 November 2006. Archived from the original on 29 September 2008.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Paramount: Cruise is risky business - CNN-Money Magazine with Reuters (c/o CNNMoney.com) - 23 August 2006
- ^ Jump up to: a b Atkins, Jill. "Sumner Redstone Rebuke of Tom Cruise: Now What? Archived 2007-11-18 at the Wayback Machine - National Ledger - 24 August 2006
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Lieberman, David and Laura Petrecca. "Cruise seeks financial backing from hedge funds" - USA Today - 24 August 2006
- ^ Jump up to: a b Epstein, Edward Jay. The Financial Times: Paramount vs. Cruise: all down the killer cut - Financial Times - 24 August 2006
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Clark, John. "The business of Cruise control" - New York Daily News - 23 August 2007
- ^ "Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England on October 29, 1992 · 19". Newspapers.com. 29 October 1992. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ^ "The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina on November 4, 1992 · Page 10". Newspapers.com. 4 November 1992. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gardner, Chris. "It's a war of the words" - Variety - August 22, 2006
- ^ Kimball, Trevor. "Paramount Gives Tom Cruise the Boot" Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine - AnActorsJourney.com - 23 August 2006
- ^ Sperling, Nicole. "Biz eyeing economics of Cruise-Par breakup: DVD slowdown forcing restraint" Archived 2009-01-13 at the Wayback Machine - The Hollywood Reporter - 24 August 2006
- ^ Olson, Parmy. "Redskins' Snyder Gambles On Tom Cruise" - Forbes magazine - 29 August 2006
- ^ Fischer, Martha. "Cruise, Wagner Fight Back" - Cinematical - 23 August 2006
- ^ Finke, Nikki. "Tom Cruise's Movie Studio Imploding: Paula Wagner Is DOA At United Artists; But Was It Suicide or Murder By MGM? - Deadline Hollywood - 13 August 2008
- ^ Flemming, Michael. "Paula Wagner leaves UA - Variety (magazine) - 13 August 2008
- ^ Tom Cruise Splits From Long Time Partner (Sydney Morning Herald newspaper)
- ^ Cruise loses studio partner (The Guardian newspaper)
- ^ Fleming, Michael (November 30, 1993). "Cruise has 'Criminal' intent". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (June 12, 2000). "Wahlberg circles 'Criminal'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Johnson, Ted; Hindes, Andrew (January 21, 1997). "Par and Cruise buying 'Time'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Michael; Petrikin, Chris (February 4, 1997). "SARKIN'S LIFE LINE". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hindes, Andrew (March 25, 1997). "For new battalion of studio pix, war is swell". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (April 22, 1997). "Cruise talks Spector pic". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Busch, Anita M. (June 23, 1997). "'Sylvia' to bark onscreen". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Variety Staff (January 20, 1998). "Harling lands 'Ladykillers'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Harris, Dana (February 24, 2003). "Embarrassment of witches at Col". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Carver, Benedict (June 23, 1998). "Cruise may enter 'Void'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Carver, Benedict (September 22, 1998). "Fine Line hot about 'Arctic'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Variety Staff (February 1, 1999). "Blum work blooms; countdown to '13 Days'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Bing, Jonathan (July 24, 2000). "Artisan tunes up Shaggs". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Lyons, Charles (January 11, 2000). "Bruckheimer pacts with journo". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Brodesser, Claude (May 30, 2000). "A blazing 'Sunrise'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (October 10, 2000). "Salerno tries on Jersey deal". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Cruise set to play British war magician". The Guardian. January 29, 2001. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Michael; Gardner, Chris (August 23, 2006). "Who gets what?". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Brodesser, Claude; Bing, Jonathan (January 24, 2002). "Cruise-Wagner drafting 'Soldiers'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (February 7, 2002). "Par, Cruise lift 'Bridge'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Dunkley, Cathy; Bing, Jonathan (February 11, 2002). "Par, Cruise/Wagner set to beat the 'Devil'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ "Cruise 'to make Channel Tunnel' movie". Irish Examiner. May 23, 2002. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Nakao, Annie (June 23, 2004). "Newest finds in slave narratives". SFGate. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Bing, Jonathan (July 2, 2002). "Par blesses 'Angels'; soccer moms 'Kicking'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Bing, Jonathan; McNary, Dave (April 8, 2003). "All's fair in race to make killer bios". Variety. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (September 9, 2003). "New flight plan for Cruise". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael; Bing, Jonathan (February 10, 2004). "Centropolis sets slave pic". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ McNary, Dave; Fleming, Michael (November 10, 2004). "Cruise/Wagner cash in on novel 'Banker'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (June 23, 2005). "Paramount takes a 'Shot'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 1992 establishments in California
- 2008 disestablishments in California
- American companies established in 1992
- American companies disestablished in 2008
- American independent film studios
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
- Entertainment companies based in California
- Mass media companies established in 1992
- Mass media companies disestablished in 2008
- Privately held companies based in California
- Tom Cruise