Tom Cruise's dream of filming a movie in outer space has hit several bumps, and one of them was his hesitation to ask former President Donald Trump for help.

The "Mission: Impossible" star needed NASA's cooperation to make the space film possible, but sources say Cruise did not want to request support from Trump, who was in office when the project was first announced, according to sources who spoke with Page Six.

The film was first reported in 2020 as a partnership involving Cruise, director Doug Liman, SpaceX, and NASA.

At the time, NASA's then-administrator, Jim Bridenstine, even tweeted that the agency was excited to work with Cruise and that the movie could be filmed on the International Space Station.

That tweet has since been deleted, and insiders say the space agency has not had further discussions about the film.

A source familiar with the project explained, "They would need NASA coordination to do the movie, and supposedly Tom Cruise did not want to ask Donald Trump for a favor."

According to the insider, Cruise avoided the request for political reasons. The actor has stayed quiet about politics for most of his career and reportedly didn't want to risk dividing fans.

Tom Cruise Turns Down Trump Honor

Earlier this year, Cruise also turned down a 2025 Kennedy Center honor from Trump, with his team saying it was due to scheduling issues.

Sources say Cruise simply prefers to stay away from political situations, especially ones that could affect his public image.

Even without the Trump factor, the space film has faced challenges. Universal Pictures was said to be interested, but questions remained about safety, insurance, and whether the cast and crew could even be cleared to fly.

There were also rumors that director Doug Liman had trouble passing a physical, though another source said he is in great shape.

SpaceX, which would play a major role in sending Cruise and Liman into orbit, has not commented on the project, TotalNews reported.

The company is run by Elon Musk, who once supported Trump but later fell out with him. Any launch would also need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Cruise and Liman have stayed busy with other work, which has slowed progress. Liman said his goal is to make a movie that stands the test of time, not one that uses space as a gimmick.

Cruise, meanwhile, released "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" this year and is already committed to major films planned for 2026.

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Tom Cruise, Donald trump