Tom Cruise in ‘you’re fired’ ‘I quit’ row with studio

MOVIE star Tom Cruise is at the centre of a ‘you’re fired ... I quit’ row at Tinseltown’s highest level following months of eccentric behaviour.

On one side is Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom, which owns Paramount Pictures. On the other is the industry’s biggest and most bankable star, whose last seven films have each generated €81 million.

Redstone has said Paramount will sever its long relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions, Cruise’s company with producing partner Paula Wagner, telling the Wall Street Journal that Cruise’s “recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount”.

But Wagner told the Associated Press that agents for Cruise/Wagner Productions stopped negotiating with Paramount over a week ago and since secured independent financing, effectively taking any contract-renewal deal off the table.