Cruise/Wagner Productions

{{Infobox company

| name = Cruise/Wagner Productions

| logo = File:Cruise-Wagner Productions logo.svg

| logo_size = 130px

| caption =

| type =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1992|7}}

| defunct = {{end date and age|2008|08}}

| fate = Partnership dissolved

| successor = TC Productions

| founder = Tom Cruise
Paula Wagner

| location = United States

| industry = Film

| owner = Tom Cruise
Paula Wagner

| parent =

| divisions =

| subsid =

| homepage =

| num_employees =

}}

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.{{cite news|title=Cruise makes a picture deal |publisher=Lima News |work=NewspaperARCHIVE.com |page=A4 |date=November 4, 1992}}{{Cite web|title=The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on July 13, 1992 · Page 152|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177328500/|access-date=2022-02-26|website=Newspapers.com|date=13 July 1992 |language=en}}{{Cite web|work=Evening Standard |title=Tom Cruise forms his own film company |quote=Scroll down to 'Show 12 article text' |issn=2041-4404 |date=July 14, 1992 |page=12 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/725459662/|access-date=2022-02-26|location=Newspapers.com|language=en}} Wagner had been representing Cruise for eleven years before the formation of C/W Productions. The company has grossed more than $2.9 billion in box office proceeds since its inception.{{cite news|date=2 November 2006|title=MGM Partners With Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner to Form New United Artists|publisher=Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|agency=PR Newswire|url=http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20061102/LATH10602112006-1.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929115013/http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20061102/LATH10602112006-1.html|archivedate=29 September 2008}}[https://money.cnn.com/2006/08/22/news/newsmakers/cruise_paramount/index.htm?cnn=yes Paramount: Cruise is risky business] - CNN-Money Magazine with Reuters (c/o CNNMoney.com) - 23 August 2006Atkins, Jill. [https://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=3&num=7912 "Sumner Redstone Rebuke of Tom Cruise: Now What?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118075140/http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=3&num=7912|date=2007-11-18}} - National Ledger - 24 August 2006Lieberman, David and Laura Petrecca. [https://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2006-08-23-hedge-films-usat_x.htm "Cruise seeks financial backing from hedge funds"] - USA Today - 24 August 2006Epstein, Edward Jay. [https://www.ft.com/content/d817b680-33a0-11db-981f-0000779e2340 The Financial Times: Paramount vs. Cruise: all down the killer cut] - Financial Times - 24 August 2006Clark, John. [https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2007/08/23/2007-08-23_the_business_of_cruise_control.html?ref=rss "The business of Cruise control"] - New York Daily News - 23 August 2007

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. In October 1992, Cruise/Wagner Productions signed an exclusive three-year multi-picture financing and distribution deal with Paramount Pictures.{{Cite web|title=Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England on October 29, 1992 · 19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/725452427/|access-date=2022-02-26|website=Newspapers.com|date=29 October 1992 |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina on November 4, 1992 · Page 10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/70156199/|access-date=2022-02-26|website=Newspapers.com|date=4 November 1992 |language=en}} 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.Gardner, Chris. [https://variety.com/article/VR1117948838.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "It's a war of the words"] - Variety - August 22, 2006 However, the termination may have been more about money than anything else.Kimball, Trevor. [http://www.anactorsjourney.com/2006/08/paramount_gives_tom_cruise_the_1.html "Paramount Gives Tom Cruise the Boot"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110151750/http://www.anactorsjourney.com/2006/08/paramount_gives_tom_cruise_the_1.html |date=2008-01-10 }} - AnActorsJourney.com - 23 August 2006Sperling, Nicole. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003052563 "Biz eyeing economics of Cruise-Par breakup: DVD slowdown forcing restraint"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113093430/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003052563 |date=2009-01-13 }} - The Hollywood Reporter - 24 August 2006 Within a week, Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins and two hedge funds, secured financial backing to buy the company.Olson, Parmy. [https://archive.today/20130123112851/http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/29/cruise-dan-snyder-cx_po_0829autofacescan03.html "Redskins' Snyder Gambles On Tom Cruise"] - Forbes magazine - 29 August 2006Fischer, Martha. [http://www.cinematical.com/2006/08/23/cruise-wagner-fight-back/ "Cruise, Wagner Fight Back"] - Cinematical - 23 August 2006

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. This deal fell apart when Wagner left the studio in August 2008.Finke, Nikki. [https://deadline.com/2008/08/paula-wagner-out-at-united-artists-was-it-suicide-or-murder-by-mgm-6674/ "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 2008Flemming, Michael. [https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/paula-wagner-leaves-ua-1117990504/ "Paula Wagner leaves UA] - Variety (magazine) - 13 August 2008[https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tom-cruise-splits-from-long-time-partner-20080815-gdsqtp.html Tom Cruise Splits From Long Time Partner] (Sydney Morning Herald newspaper)[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/14/tomcruise Cruise loses studio partner] (The Guardian newspaper)

Productions

=Feature films=

class="wikitable"
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.
rowspan="2" \| 2001 \| The Others \| Alejandro Amenábar \| Dimension Films/Miramax Films \| $17 million \| $209.9 million \|
Vanilla Sky \| Cameron Crowe \| rowspan="2" \| Paramount Pictures \| $68 million \| $203.4 million \| Remake of Open Your Eyes.
rowspan="2" \| 2002 \| Narc \| Joe Carnahan \| $6.5 million \| $12.6 million \|
Minority Report \| Steven Spielberg \| 20th Century Fox \| $102 million \| $358.4 million \|
rowspan="2" \| 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 \| rowspan="5" \| Paramount Pictures \| $27 million \| $11.4 million \|
rowspan="2" \| 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 \|
rowspan="2" \| 2006 \| Ask the Dust \| Robert Towne \| {{N/A}} \| $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 {{small\|(United States)}} 20th Century Fox {{small\|(International)}} \| $35 million \| $63.2 million \|
rowspan="3" \| 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 {{small\|(United States)}} 20th Century Fox {{small\|(International)}} \| $75–90 million \| $201.5 million \|

class="wikitable"

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.

rowspan="2" | 2001

| The Others

| Alejandro Amenábar

| Dimension Films/Miramax Films

| $17 million

| $209.9 million

Vanilla Sky

| Cameron Crowe

| rowspan="2" | Paramount Pictures

| $68 million

| $203.4 million

| Remake of Open Your Eyes.

rowspan="2" | 2002

| Narc

| Joe Carnahan

| $6.5 million

| $12.6 million

Minority Report

| Steven Spielberg

| 20th Century Fox

| $102 million

| $358.4 million

rowspan="2" | 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

| rowspan="5" | Paramount Pictures

| $27 million

| $11.4 million

rowspan="2" | 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

rowspan="2" | 2006

| Ask the Dust

| Robert Towne

| {{N/A}}

| $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 {{small|(United States)}}
20th Century Fox {{small|(International)}}

| $35 million

| $63.2 million

rowspan="3" | 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 {{small|(United States)}}
20th Century Fox {{small|(International)}}

| $75–90 million

| $201.5 million

==Developed projects==

Criminal Conversation (1993, Iain Softley){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/cruise-has-criminal-intent-116200/|title=Cruise has 'Criminal' intent|magazine=Variety|date=November 30, 1993|access-date=March 22, 2025}}{{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/wahlberg-circles-criminal-1117782463/|title=Wahlberg circles 'Criminal'|magazine=Variety|date=June 12, 2000|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Timejumpers (1997){{cite magazine|author1=Johnson, Ted|author2=Hindes, Andrew|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/par-and-cruise-buying-time-1117433136/|title=Par and Cruise buying 'Time'|magazine=Variety|date=January 21, 1997|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Metamorphosis (1997){{cite magazine|author1=Fleming, Michael|author2=Petrikin, Chris|url=https://variety.com/1997/voices/columns/sarkin-s-life-line-1117435984/|title=SARKIN'S LIFE LINE|magazine=Variety|date=February 4, 1997|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Five Year Plan (1997, Phillip Kerr)
Earth, Wings, and Fire (1997){{cite magazine|last=Hindes|first=Andrew|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/for-new-battalion-of-studio-pix-war-is-swell-1117342146/|title=For new battalion of studio pix, war is swell|magazine=Variety|date=March 25, 1997|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
In the Blue Light of African Dreams (1997)
Untitled Phil Spector biopic (1997, Cameron Crowe){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/1997/voices/columns/cruise-talks-spector-pic-1117434171/|title=Cruise talks Spector pic|magazine=Variety|date=April 22, 1997|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Sylvia (1997, Lawrence Kasdan){{cite magazine|last=Busch|first=Anita M.|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/sylvia-to-bark-onscreen-1116679147/|title='Sylvia' to bark onscreen|magazine=Variety|date=June 23, 1997|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
I Married a Witch (1998, Danny DeVito){{cite magazine|author=Variety Staff|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/harling-lands-ladykillers-1117466866/|title=Harling lands 'Ladykillers'|magazine=Variety|date=January 20, 1998|access-date=March 22, 2025}}{{cite magazine|last=Harris|first=Dana|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/embarrassment-of-witches-at-col-1117881146/|title=Embarrassment of witches at Col|magazine=Variety|date=February 24, 2003|access-date=June 24, 2024}}
Touching the Void (1998){{cite magazine|last=Carver|first=Benedict|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/cruise-may-enter-void-1117477802/|title=Cruise may enter 'Void'|magazine=Variety|date=June 23, 1998|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998){{cite magazine|last=Carver|first=Benedict|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/fine-line-hot-about-arctic-1117480629/|title=Fine Line hot about 'Arctic'|magazine=Variety|date=September 22, 1998|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Higher Ground (1999, Jim Sheridan){{cite magazine|author=Variety Staff|url=https://variety.com/1999/voices/columns/blum-work-blooms-countdown-to-13-days-1117490870/|title=Blum work blooms; countdown to '13 Days'|magazine=Variety|date=February 1, 1999|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Meet the Shaggs (1999){{cite magazine|last=Bing|first=Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/artisan-tunes-up-shaggs-1117784104/|title=Artisan tunes up Shaggs|magazine=Variety|date=July 24, 2000|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
A Firing Offense (2000){{cite magazine|last=Lyons|first=Charles|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/bruckheimer-pacts-with-journo-1117760778/|title=Bruckheimer pacts with journo|magazine=Variety|date=January 11, 2000|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Sunrise at Hastings (2000){{cite magazine|last=Brodesser|first=Claude|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/a-blazing-sunrise-1117822231/|title=A blazing 'Sunrise'|magazine=Variety|date=May 30, 2000|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Night Train (2000, William Friedkin){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/salerno-tries-on-jersey-deal-1117787515/|title=Salerno tries on Jersey deal|magazine=Variety|date=October 10, 2000|access-date=June 24, 2024}}
The War Magician (2001, Peter Weir){{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/jan/29/news.tomcruise|title=Cruise set to play British war magician|website=The Guardian|date=January 29, 2001|access-date=March 22, 2025}}{{cite magazine|author1=Fleming, Michael|author2=Gardner, Chris|url=https://variety.com/2006/film/features/who-gets-what-1200341321/|title=Who gets what?|magazine=Variety|date=August 23, 2006|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Ghost Soldiers (2002, Steven Spielberg){{cite magazine|author1=Brodesser, Claude|author2=Bing, Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/cruise-wagner-drafting-soldiers-1117859135/|title=Cruise-Wagner drafting 'Soldiers'|magazine=Variety|date=January 24, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Bridge (2002){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/par-cruise-lift-bridge-1117860446/|title=Par, Cruise lift 'Bridge'|magazine=Variety|date=February 7, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Carter Beats the Devil (2002, Robert Towne){{cite magazine|author1=Dunkley, Cathy|author2=Bing, Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/par-cruise-wagner-set-to-beat-the-devil-1117860575/|title=Par, Cruise/Wagner set to beat the 'Devil'|magazine=Variety|date=February 11, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Light at the End of the Chunnel (2002){{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30051282.html|title=Cruise 'to make Channel Tunnel' movie|newspaper=Irish Examiner|date=May 23, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Bondswoman's Narrative (2002){{cite web|last=Nakao|first=Annie|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Newest-finds-in-slave-narratives-2712299.php|title=Newest finds in slave narratives|website=SFGate|date=June 23, 2004|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
17 Stone Angels (2002){{cite magazine|last=Bing|first=Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/columns/par-blesses-angels-soccer-moms-kicking-1117869296/|title=Par blesses 'Angels'; soccer moms 'Kicking'|magazine=Variety|date=July 2, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Devil in the White City (2003, Kathryn Bigelow){{cite magazine|author1=Bing, Jonathan|author2=McNary, Dave|author2-link=Dave McNary|title=All's fair in race to make killer bios|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/all-s-fair-in-race-to-make-killer-bios-1117884351/|date=April 8, 2003|magazine=Variety|access-date=January 10, 2023}}
The Few (2003, Michael Mann){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/new-flight-plan-for-cruise-1117892183/|title=New flight plan for Cruise|magazine=Variety|date=September 9, 2003|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
Untitled Peter Landesman script (2004){{cite magazine|author1=Fleming, Michael|author2=Bing, Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/centropolis-sets-slave-pic-1117899942/|title=Centropolis sets slave pic|magazine=Variety|date=February 10, 2004|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Devil's Banker (2004){{cite magazine|author2=Fleming, Michael|author1=McNary, Dave|url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/cruise-wagner-cash-in-on-novel-banker-1117913393/|title=Cruise/Wagner cash in on novel 'Banker'|magazine=Variety|date=November 10, 2004|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
One Shot (2005){{cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/features/paramount-takes-a-shot-1117924994/|title=Paramount takes a 'Shot'|magazine=Variety|date=June 23, 2005|access-date=March 22, 2025}}
The Fall of the Warrior King (2006)

References

Category:1992 establishments in California

Category:2008 disestablishments in California

Category:American companies established in 1992

Category:American companies disestablished in 2008

Category:American independent film studios

Category:Companies based in Los Angeles

Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles

Category:Defunct film and television production companies of the United States

Category:Entertainment companies based in California

Category:Mass media companies established in 1992

Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2008

Category:Privately held companies based in California

Category:Tom Cruise