Tom Cruise reportedly ruined The Mummy by taking control

Tom Cruise reportedly took complete control over Universal’s reboot of The Mummy during production.

The movie was panned by critics and has performed well below expectations at the US box office. According to Variety, the film’s leading star Tom Cruise is partly to blame for the film’s failings as he reportedly took heavy control of production, post-production and script re-writes. Cruise also apparently gave director Alex Kurtzman instructions on set, the film’s supervising art director Frank Walsh emphasized this:

“This is very much a film of two halves: before Tom and after Tom. I have heard the stories about how he drives everything and pushes and pushes, but it was amazing to work with him. The guy is a great filmmaker and knows his craft. He will walk onto a set and tell the director what to do, say ‘that’s not the right lens,’ ask about the sets, and as long as you don’t fluff what you’re saying to him … he’s easy to work for.”

Variety’s report does also suggest that inexperienced director Kurtzman did struggle with the challenge, which is why Cruise often took command. The Top Gun actor allegedly altered The Mummy‘s original story and gave his character more screen time. Universal was reportedly unhappy with his changes, but stuck by him because of his star power.

Cruise is yet to respond to the reports. The Mummy is currently in theaters, watch its trailer below: