Tom Cruise Is Fighting “low IQ slop” to Revive Theaters, Disney & Netflix Hate It (Report)

Tom Cruise has put his name behind Paramount‘s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and he did it on a sports talk show. Sitting down with Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to promote Days of Thunder 2, Cruise was asked about Paramount CEO David Ellison’s pledge to release 30 movies a year once the deal closes.

Not only did he think that it was an “awesome” decision, but he also shared his hope for more: “Those 30 movies are going to turn into 40 movies.” Cosmic Book News has now tied those comments to something happening away from the cameras.

The outlet reports that shortly after the interview, an insider messaged them describing Paramount’s strategy as one built on A-list talent, beloved IP, and a hard push to fill cinema seats again. The source further took a jab at other media giants, sharing, “They’re playing to WIN, not to serve low IQ slop.” That same insider claims Disney and Netflix are scrambling to block it.

Tom Cruise Backs Paramount-WB Merger and He Has His Reasons

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Hollywood is split over the $111 billion merger, which is currently tied up in an antitrust suit from a dozen state attorneys general, with a trial set for March 2, 2027. However, Tom Cruise is not joining the critics of the Paramount-WB merger.

His argument on The Pat McAfee Show was less about corporate strategy and more about people. He described the studio staff as family and shared that he has no doubt the 30 films will materialise. He shared, “They’re going to deliver 30 movies. It’s a community to me. It’s not an industry… Those 30 movies are going to turn into 40 movies.”

He also made clear he does not want the benefit for himself alone, naming writers, directors, producers, and every other artist he wants working. Cruise has also spent years telling anyone who would listen to go back to the cinema, something McAfee credited him for during the chat.

There is also a practical angle behind his comments. Cruise’s next film, the Alejandro G. Iñárritu comedy Digger, is a Warner Bros. release arriving October 2. Days of Thunder 2, with Anne Hathaway as a race team owner and engineer, is a Paramount release and lands June 2, 2028.

Netflix and Disney’s Alleged Move to Counter the Deal

A logo of Netflix | Credits: Netflix

The source also made an allegation against competitors like Disney & Netflix, sharing, “Disney & Netflix know what’s coming, and they’re doing EVERYTHING to stop it.” According to Cosmic Book News, the counter-move involves Lionsgate.

Back in June, Disney was reportedly preparing for a fight with the combined Paramount-WBD. The plan includes restructuring around AI, benching its weaker legacy IP, and looking at Lionsgate as a way to win back the male and family audiences it believes Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar have lost.

Netflix is said to be circling the same target. The report notes that after losing the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war, Netflix has kept its eye on Lionsgate and its John Wick, Hunger Games, and Twilight libraries, public denials aside.

However, these allegations are supposed to be taken with a grain of salt. While the Lionsgate move may or may not be true, Disney is one of the most successful makers of theatrical movies and is unlikely to sabotage that any time soon.

What do you think of Cruise’s comments and this particular report? Let us know in the comments below!

Days of Thunder 2 races into theaters on June 2, 2028.