Brad Pitt Jokes He’d Work With Tom Cruise Again—But Only “On the Ground”

Brad Pitt might be open to a Hollywood reunion with longtime peer Tom Cruise—but only if the project keeps both feet firmly planted on solid ground.

While attending the Mexico premiere of his upcoming racing film F1, Pitt spoke to E! News about the possibility of sharing the screen with Cruise once again. The two last worked together over three decades ago in the 1994 gothic cult classic Interview With the Vampire. Despite the film’s success and the enduring star power of both actors, they’ve never reunited on screen—until perhaps now?

“Well, I’m not gonna hang my ass off airplanes and shit like that,” Pitt said with a grin, referencing Cruise’s signature high-stakes stunt work. “So when he does something again that’s on the ground, [then yes].”

Opposites on the Action Spectrum

Cruise, known for defying death in nearly every Mission: Impossible installment, most recently dangled from a moving airplane in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, which opened to blockbuster numbers in May. Meanwhile, Pitt’s F1, which focuses on the world of Formula One racing, may be intense but stays much closer to Earth—literally.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, F1 is a high-octane racing drama set to premiere June 27. Notably, the film is backed by the same creative team behind Cruise’s $1.4 billion smash Top Gun: Maverick.

Kosinski told GQ that Cruise and Pitt were once considered for a film together before—a scrapped version of Ford v Ferrari that never got off the ground due to budget concerns. Instead, that film was eventually helmed by James Mangold and starred Christian Bale and Matt Damon.

“Tom always pushes it to the limit, but at the same time is super capable and very skilled,” Kosinski noted, reflecting on the prospect of Cruise in a racing film. “They both have the natural talent for driving. But yeah, I could see Tom maybe scaring us a little bit more.”

“We’d Have Had a Crash”

That fear wasn’t just theoretical. Graham Kelly, action vehicle supervisor on F1, chimed in with a telling comment to GQ: “We’d have had a crash,” he joked. “Tom pushes it to the limit. I mean really to the limit. That terrifies me.”

Kelly, who has worked extensively on the Mission: Impossible series, said building cars and designing stunts for Cruise is an extremely high-pressure job. “It’s the most stressful experience for someone like me,” he said. “Whereas Brad listens. He knows his abilities, and I think he’d be the first to say, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to do that.’”

Pitt, at 60, is no stranger to action roles—Troy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Bullet Train come to mind—but he’s drawn a line when it comes to risking life and limb. His upcoming role in F1 sees him playing a seasoned driver returning to the racing circuit, a character reportedly crafted with authenticity and realism rather than adrenaline-pumping insanity.

Cruise’s Daredevil Reputation

Cruise’s appetite for risk has become legendary in Hollywood. From scaling the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol to halo jumps and motorcycle cliff dives in later entries, Cruise insists on doing his own stunts—often against the pleas of insurance executives and directors.

It’s part of what defines the Cruise brand: maximum realism, maximum risk. That boldness helped Top Gun: Maverick become one of the biggest box office stories of the past decade. And while some co-stars might be willing to match that energy, others—like Pitt—prefer a different approach.

A Reunion Still Possible?

Despite the very different methods, fans are still holding out hope for a Pitt-Cruise reunion. The two represent two pillars of leading-man stardom in Hollywood—both immensely charismatic, both with long and diverse filmographies, and both aging gracefully into roles that reflect more than just physicality.

Pitt’s humorous caveat—no planes, no cliffs, no dangling from helicopters—suggests he hasn’t ruled out teaming up again. He just wants to keep the adventure grounded—literally.

Whether that could mean a buddy cop movie, a prestige drama, or even a slow-burn thriller remains to be seen. But in today’s age of sequels, reboots, and surprise collaborations, anything is possible.

What’s Next for Both Stars?

F1 is shaping up to be one of the summer’s most anticipated releases, combining Pitt’s charm with a behind-the-wheel adrenaline rush. The film promises both the glamour of Formula One and the grit of a seasoned comeback story.

Meanwhile, Cruise continues to dominate the summer box office with the latest Mission: Impossible, which again shows him risking life and limb in ways that blur the line between character and actor.

As the two stars continue down divergent cinematic paths, fans may not get Interview With the Vampire 2, but if the right project comes along—and keeps all stunts safely on the ground—a reunion might just be back in play.