Cruise control-ed

Hollywood was rocked this week with news that Paramount Studios have dropped Tom Cruise and his production company after a 14 year releationship that has included the Mission Impossible films and War Of The Worlds.

Paramount spokesman, and current winner of fakest name in Hollywood Sumner Redstone says they severed ties with Cruise because "his recent conduct has not been acceptible for Paramount."

Redstone went on to say that "as much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal."

Not sure if Redstone is referring to his coach jumping on Opera (later repeated on the Tonight Show and The View like Cruise was trying to pretend that he was in on the joke), his argument with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, his ongoing battle with Brooke Shields regarding post partum depression, the declining franchise that is Mission Impossible, the weird relationship with Katie Holmes and "their" baby Suri, the whole Scientology thing...should I keep going?

Cruise's production partner Paula Wagner, in an interview with LA Times, responded by saying, "It is graceless. It is undignified. It's not businesslike,"

In a separate interview with Daily Variety, she pointed out that during the last six years, Cruise/Wagner movies have accounted for 32 percent of Paramount's theatrical revenue.

Even Paramount can't seem to be in agreement on this whole Cruise fiasco. The LA Times article states that Paramount and Cruise/Wagner had been negotiating for a renewal deal that would have made the studio's commitment to pay them $10 million in overhead and development costs.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said that Paramount had sent them a counter offer of $2 million a year plus a $500,000 discretionary fund for each of two years. When Cruise/Wagner turned down that offer, Paramount Chairman Brad Grey prepared to announce an amicable end to the relationship. Grey and Viacom CEO Tom Freston were then suprised and reportedly upset when they heard Redstone's comments about Cruise. They told the newspaper's sources that Redstone had not discussed his views about Cruise during the negotiations.

In a separate interview with Daily Variety, Wagner pointed out that during the last six years, Cruise/Wagner movies have accounted for 32 percent of Paramount's theatrical revenue and that his films have totalled about $2.5 billion for the studio. On the flip side, Paramount sources believe that Cruise's antics cost the studio about $150 million in box office receipts for Mission Impossible 3 alone.

Jon Bonne of MSNBC wrote an article that details his five theories behind this whole Cruise/Paramount divorce.

Top 5 Phoniest Tom Cruise Character names
1. Cole Trickle (Days of Thunder)
2. Mitch McDeere (The Firm)
3. Frank TJ Mackey (Magnolia)
4. Vincent Lauria (The Color Of Money)
5. Nathan Algren (The Last Samurai)

Also, looking at Cruise' bio, he actually made an appearance on the show Third Rock From the Sun in April 1998. His character's name? No joke, "Guy on couch"!!! Who knew Third Rock was that prophetic of a show.