Tom Cruise to film movie in space, NASA says (no really)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Actor Tom Cruise will star in the first movie filmed in space recorded onboard the International Space Station, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine revealed in a surprising tweet Tuesday.

The head of NASA offered few details of this historic idea.

“NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality,” Bridenstine said in a tweet.

Deadline.com first reported the possible space collaboration with Cruise and NASA, reporting SpaceX would provide the actor a ride to the space station orbiting the Earth. The news outlet says the film won’t be part of the Mission: Impossible series.

Many questions remain, including a timeline on when this could happen. SpaceX is scheduled to launch astronauts for the first time in its Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 27 from Florida’s Coast. The launch will mark the first time American astronauts have launched from the U.S. since 2011.

Another question that remains is training. Astronauts spend years preparing for spaceflight. It will be interesting to see how Cruise, who is known for performing his own stunts, will train for the shoot.

The lure of space in pop culture continues to grow with new upcoming projects to be excited about this year.

While it won’t be filmed in space -- that we know of -- Netflix revealed Tuesday its comedy Space Force will premiere May 29 on the streaming service. The show is a workplace parody about the formation of the Space Force and stars Steve Carell, Jon Malkovish and Lisa Kudrow.