Summary

  • One of Tom Cruise's most expensive scenes ever was in the film Vanilla Sky, and surprisingly, it didn't involve any stunts or action sequences.
  • The scene in question took place in Times Square and cost $1 million to film because the entire area had to be shut down temporarily.
  • Despite the lack of action, the difficulty of shutting down one of the busiest tourist destinations in the US made it one of Cruise's most impressive movie scenes.

Tom Cruise has accomplished numerous impressive feats over the course of his lengthy film career, but fans of the movie star might be surprised to learn that one of the most expensive scenes he was ever a part of didn't include any stunts or high-stakes action. Cruise has starred in plenty of films with massive budgets (and high-grossing box office numbers), like his seven (soon to be eight) Mission: Impossible movies, War of the Worlds, Top Gun: Maverick, and so on. He famously does his own stunts in his films, even as he has gotten older. However, one of Cruise's grandest scenes is a non-action sequence in Vanilla Sky.

Vanilla Sky premiered in 2001 and featured Cruise's character, David Aames, waking up in an alternate reality following the suicide of his girlfriend and a terrible accident that disfigured David's face. The science fiction movie, which also starred Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, and David Lee, took many twists and turns as David tried to get to the bottom of what was happening to him. But Vanilla Sky contained one scene that cost producers a lot of money to film, making it one of Cruise's most expensive scenes he has ever acted in.

Vanilla Sky's Times Square Scene Had No CGI

Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky (2001)

The Vanilla Sky scene that featured Tom Cruise's character David in a deserted Times Square reportedly cost $1 million to film. The crew had cleared out the bustling tourist attraction and closed it down to film the one-minute sequence where David is bewildered by the lack of people in Times Square. As fans of the movie recall, the brief scene depicted David driving into the middle of Times Square, parking his car, and running around, wondering what was happening.

Instead of using CGI to erase people walking around the New York City destination, the Vanilla Sky producers decided it would be easier to shut down Times Square to film the scene. However, doing so cost them $1 million. Since the city makes a lot of money from the commercial intersection, which has about 330,000 visitors daily, the budget for closing Times Square down was large. According to 11 Most Iconic Scenes Of Tom Cruise's Career (That Aren't Action)

Why Vanilla Sky's New York Scene Was So Difficult

Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz in Vanilla Sky (2001)

The Times Square scene in Vanilla Sky came with difficulties because it is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States. Millions of people visit the attraction yearly — there is a reason why it's called "The Crossroads of the World." So to shut Times Square down, even for only a few hours, was an amazing feat. Although the sequence didn't involve any jaw-dropping stunts, like jumping out of an airplane or riding a motorcycle off a cliff, it was still Tom Cruise's most impressive movie scene to date.

Source: Looper