Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment are reportedly in negotiations for an untitled Alejandro G. Iñárritu film starring Tom Cruise. If the deal goes through, this would be Iñárritu’s first English-language film since his 2015 hit, The Revenant. The project is said to be shrouded in secrecy, with little information available about the plot, other than it being an original story written by Iñárritu.

The film is a collaboration between Iñárritu and his co-writers Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolas Giacobone, who previously worked with him on Birdman. This marks a reunion a decade later for the team.

Tom Cruise, who is also set to produce the film, has been eager to find his next project and was quick to jump on board after meeting with Iñárritu. The project aligns with Cruise’s recent strategic partnership with Warner Bros., emphasizing the creation of original content for the big screen.

Iñárritu has been taking meetings with a select few actors, with Cruise being one of the first. With Cruise’s track record and Iñárritu’s history of delivering Oscar nominations to actors in his films, this collaboration is sure to catch the attention of Academy voters once the film hits theaters.

Cruise is looking for more prestige films

This project marks a significant return for Iñárritu to major studio filmmaking since The Revenant, which not only achieved commercial success but also earned him his second consecutive Best Director Oscar win. After taking a break following an intense period of directing, Iñárritu turned his attention to his passion project Bardo at Netflix before focusing on his next big studio endeavor.

As for Cruise, known for his blockbuster hits like the Mission: Impossible franchise and Top Gun: Maverick, he has a history of working with top-tier directors. Despite not having won an Oscar, he has received four nominations, three of which were for acting. Given Iñárritu’s ability to draw out powerful performances from his actors, this collaboration has the potential to garner attention during awards season.

The project is being kept under wraps for now, but with Iñárritu and Cruise on board, it’s certainly one to watch out for.