However, Cruise isn't the studio's top choice for the role according to Collider. Universal Pictures wants James McAvoy to star in the action epic to be shot in 3-D and produced by none other than James Cameron. del Toro and Cruise had been working on a reboot of Van Helsing which never went anywhere, but apparently it left both men wanting to do something together - even if it isn't Van Helsing related. Cruise isn't a sure thing anymore at the box office, with his latest action film, Knight & Day, posting disappointing numbers domestically. And with the studio wanting to go another direction in casting, del Toro may not get his way. But, who knows? At the Mountains of Madness isn't going to go before the cameras until sometime next year and a lot could happen between now and then.

In fact, the studio wants the "Wanted (2008)" star to take the lead role in the movie, sources say. Beside the two, Chris Pine was also thrown among the contenders to take the important part. However, the "Star Trek" thesp is said to have had busy schedule which might have forced him to leave the competition.

As for Patton, she’s reportedly playing an up-and-coming agent working with Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. But since the film’s plot will likely remain locked in a pressure-temperature-and-sound-sensitive vault until much closer to the movie’s expected Dec. 16, 2011 release, Patton’s character could be anything from Keri Russell’s character in the Abrams directed Mission: Impossible III (i.e. a platonic teammate), to Emmanuelle Béart’s role from 1996′s Mission: Impossible (i.e. a seductress and double agent). So let’s wildly speculate and write Patton’s first scene.

Lately, it was rumoured that Cruise and Beckham real life friendship will be seen in reel life as well. The rumours sparked after the Hollywood hunk praised the sports star for his looks and admitted that he is ‘encouraging him to become an actor’. However, Cruise's spokesperson while dismissing the reports added that Cruise’s comments have been stretched out by the media.

Impossible' franchise directed by 'The Incredibles' director Brad Bird. The pay cut on 'M:I 4' is due to the disappointing takings at the box office of Tom's new action comedy.

'Knight And Day' in which he reteams with the lovely Cameron Diaz, although it has been well documented over the past couple of years that Cruise is no longer the box office draw he used to be.

Actress Katie Holmes with whom he has a four-year-old daughter Surie, admits his motto is "don't stop" as he just gets on with things.

"Don't worry about the pressures of life, think positive and get through it. I'm just forging ahead. Don't stop, that's what I say. Don't stop.

Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio  Head to head: Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio Photograph: KIYOSHI OTA/REUTERS

There is a story playing out right now in Hollywood that epitomises the perils of fame, the precariousness of success and the dangers of celebrities left unguarded. You can imagine it framed in the blockbuster vernacular, the voiceover delivered in the gravelly, portentous boom.

The plan was not to remake the 2004 Hugh Jackman film, but to base it on the same fictional character from Bram Stoker's "Dracula." Tom Cruise was planning to produce and possibly star. At this point he is still attached, but del Toro is no longer involved with the project. Cruise is now searching for a new helmer.

I say surprisingly, but then we all know Cruise is desperate to win a place back in the hearts and minds of the public [the only reason he is making a Les Grossman comedy], and what better way to achieve that than to add the large tweeny vampire group to your box office figures?

He hates nothing more than having to re-run a dramatic sprint because his crew can’t keep up with him. “There’s nothing worse than running that hard then being told that they forgot to start the film,” he said.

“Or it’s like, ‘Hey Tom, we’re a little fuzzy on the focus on that one. Hey, Cruise, do it again bud’. It’s not what you want to hear.”

Tom recently revealed what his adorable daughter Suri gets up to when she joins him on movie sets. “Suri actually creates her own things in between takes,” he said.

“Once, she went under one of the director’s chairs and had us all on the floor at her bakery. “I had to be a customer and Cameron had to be a customer and she made everyone this pretend strawberry pie.”