A month ago we let you in on our exclusive that Tom Cruise was starring in a remake of the 1977 Clint Eastwood action thriller The Gauntlet with Christopher McQuarrie in the director’s chair, and now our scoop has been confirmed. An IMDb page has gone up for the remake, backing up what we published last month. The page also delivers some new information, including at least one of the Mission: Impossible lead’s co-stars.
ScarJo Is On Board
The IMDb page also lists Scarlett Johansson as joining Tom Cruise in The Gauntlet. This will mark the first time Johansson and Cruise have collaborated on screen.
It will also represent Johansson’s return to the action movie genre. The former Marvel star hasn’t shown up in a proper shoot-em-up since signing off from the MCU in 2021’s Black Widow.
Depending on how closely Tom Cruise’s remake of The Gauntlet sticks to the original, Johansson is most likely playing Augustina “Gus” Mally, a sex worker Cruise’s hero is transporting to trial when all hell breaks loose.
As of this writing, the only other cast member listed is Dan Matteucci, an actor known mostly for background roles and stunts.
Christopher McQuarrie Directs
As part of last month’s exclusive report, we named Christopher McQuarrie as directing Tom Cruise in The Gauntlet remake, and the IMDb page also confirms that detail. Since 2008’s Valkyrie, McQuarrie has been one of Cruise’s most constant collaborators–directing him in Top Gun: Maverick, Edge of Tomorrow, and both the Jack Reacher series and many of the Mission: Impossible films.
The Gauntlet Is Right Up Cruise’s Alley
The Gauntlet is not one of Eastwood’s best-known films. It did well at the box office but didn’t impress critics upon release. Regardless, even if you’re not familiar with the film, once you hear the plot, it’s likely you won’t be confused as to why Tom Cruise found The Gauntlet attractive as a remake opportunity.
In the original, Eastwood plays Detective Ben Shockley, an alcoholic cop tasked with transporting sex worker “Gus” Mally (Sandra Locke) to trial.
Mally insists the mobsters she’s testifying against won’t let her make it to trial, but Shockley doesn’t take her seriously until the vehicle meant to transport her to court explodes and her house turns into a shooting gallery.
Both Shockley and Mally end up on the run, with the pair enduring attacks from the road and the sky, including a sequence involving an armored bus. Considering Tom Cruise’s well-known love of high-stakes stunt work, it isn’t tough to imagine the potential he sees in The Gauntlet.
The End Of Mission: Impossible Isn’t The End Of Action
Considering Cruise will soon be turning 62 and that the upcoming Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part Two will be the final film in the blockbuster franchise, plenty of fans may have understandably assumed Ethan Hunt’s last adventure meant the actor was hanging up his action spurs.
But the news that Tom Cruise has signed up for a high-octane flick like The Gauntlet remake should put those notions to rest.
Of course, Tom Cruise has projects other than The Gauntlet and the final Mission: Impossible flick on the way.
There’s whatever untitled movie Cruise is working on with SpaceX and his untitled film with The Revenant director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Top Gun 3 is apparently not out of the question, and there’s the sequel in development that refuses to die, Edge of Tomorrow 2.