Tom Cruise Wants to Star in ‘Risky’ Project With Ana de Armas as Romance Rumors Swirl (Exclusive)

Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas are hoping to star side-by-side in a thrilling, deep-sea diving flick called Deeper — but according to a source, there could be some major red tape when it comes to getting the project financed.

“Ana did well in James Bond back in 2021, but she isn’t an action movie brand name just yet,” a source exclusively tells the National ENQUIRER, referring to her role as Paloma in No Time to Die.

The 37-year-old star’s action-packed John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, also had an underwhelming run at the box office this year, only making roughly $25 million on opening weekend, per Screen Daily.

Another problem they could face is that “big Hollywood studios are utterly paranoid about movies that involve a lot of deep water action,” the source explains. “These films always go over-budget, they’re harder to insure and a million more things can go wrong in an aquatic film set than when you’re on terra firma in a soundstage.”

“These are incredibly risky and expensive movies to make, and for every Titanic that hits the bullseye, there are dozens that don’t come close, like Woody Harrelson‘s true story diving movie The Last Breath just a few months ago,” continues the source. “Nobody cared, and nobody went to the cinema to see it.”

While Cruise, 62, just “executed one of the greatest deep-dive sequences in movie history” with his action-packed film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, according to the source, there are “much safer and more secure ways” for a production company to “bet $200 million.”

“Like on Top Gun 3,” suggests the source. “Maybe Tom finds a role for Ana in that instead of racing her to the bottom of the ocean on a totally unproven piece of intellectual property!”

As romance rumors continue to swirl around Cruise and de Armas, the source also notes that movies he’s made with women he’s been romantically involved with in the past – such as Days of Thunder, Eyes Wide Shut and Vanilla Sky – have not been “his biggest hits.”

The pair recently reignited the relationship rumors when de Armas left David Beckham‘s 50th birthday party with Cruise in May.

“She’s clearly basking in Tom’s presence and enjoying him jetting her – and her dogs – around,” a source told Star at the time. “But she’s driven and smart and tends to home in on powerful people who can help her career and boost her profile.”