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Oh, Tom Cruise. I’ve run out of jokes about you because all of the good ones have been picked clean to the bone. And yet, I feel uneasy writing something straightforward about you – especially considering the possible narcissistic nature of this recent news.

It’s pretty clear that Cruise is a major blockbuster star, able to headline even an awful sci-fi remake on name alone, but it’s not often that we get word of the level of investment that studios are willing to go to in order to get their hands on the potential Cruise gold mine.

Variety is reporting that studios are jockeying seriously to get Tom Cruise on board with their projects – going far enough to set up script doctors getting as much as $250,000 a week to work alongside the actor to mold the perfect next flick. Or at least one that will most interest the icon.

Although a few in-development films are out of the running (the romantic comedy Lost for Words at Universal, and drama The 28th Amendment from Orci and Kurtzman over at Warners), there are still several out there earning writers some major bank just to have the shot at Cruise starring:

• Dreamworks has Motorcade, a drama directed by Len Wiseman
• Spyglass has The Tourist, a remake co-starring Charlize Theron
• Fox has Wichita, an action comedy co-starring Cameron Diaz
• MGM has The Matarese Circle, directed by David Cronenberg and co-starring Denzel Washington

There’s two ways to take a story like this. The first, that studios are investing the right amount of money to entice a major star into their camp, and that Cruise is doing due diligence in making a quality film. The second, that the star is exploiting his popularity in order to squeeze a ton of unnecessary money out of process for ego points (or out of the kindness of his heart and fervent support of the writers’ plight in Hollywood).

Guessing either way would be pure speculation, but either way, we’ll be seeing one of those films coming down the pipe with Cruise’s mug painted all over the marketing campaign.

What do you think?