It always intrigues me how the major studios keep shielding new Tom Cruise from bad or poor reviews. The latest, “Oblivion” will open here in the U.S. on April 19th. But between April 10th and the 19th, “Oblivion” will hit screens in roughly 35 countries. They include Belgium, France and Sweden on the 10th, Argentina, Australia, and South Korea (which loves a Tom Cruise movie) on the 11th, and all the others through the 18th. Then finally, after doing as little press as possible, Cruise will open “Oblivion” in the US.
“Oblivion” has already red carpet premieres in Moscow, Dublin, London and Taipei. Dublin was its actual premiere. New York and Los Angeles will get short shrift on this movie.
This is designed to minimize the impact of bad reviews overseas, where no one cares if an action movie makes sense just so long as it has a star. Also, Cruise is still smarting from the Katie Holmes debacle. She ambushed him in June – July 2012 and left with little Suri. What Cruise and his people don’t want is some press person saying, “Katie left you while you were filming this movie. How did that feel?”
So there will be limited exposure for him in the States, same as he did with “Jack Reacher” a few months ago. Just lots of photos with the big smile, signing autographs for fans behind barricades, and loads of waving. But little talking.
PS Cruise’s female co-star in “Oblivion” is the beautiful Olga Kurylenko. She’s been dating Danny Huston, star of “Magic City” and brother of Anjelica Huston, for some time. Yet I’ve seen some strained attempts to link Cruise to her romantically. LOL as they say.
