Tom Cruise’s Stunts Stressing Out Backers Due to Insurance Costs
Even though actors like Tom Holland, 28, Charlize Theron, 48, and Harrison Ford, 81, have done stunt work, Cruise’s feats continue to steal the spotlight – and are now stressing out his backers.
Skydance CEO David Ellison revealed that Cruise once demanded a production fire an insurer that refused to cover his skyscraper-hanging stunt in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
The lengths producers go to accommodate Cruise’s ambitions are matched by their costs.
Marc Idelson, CEO of Reel Media, explained that a production package of insurance – which covers cast, property damage, sets and more – typically ranges from 1 percent to 2.5 percent of a film’s budget.
Unraveling the exact value of Cruise’s bill is a nightmare as his stunts have an impact on every part of the production – from timing to having safety crews and a doctor on set.
But on a film like his Dead Reckoning, with a reported $291 million budget, it could mean premiums of $2.9 million to $4.4 million.
Tim O’Hair, a producer and film executive who teaches at Chapman University, emphasized that when stars such as Cruise are contractually listed as “essential elements,” insurance premiums skyrocket.
He explained: “Getting an essential element insured can lead to an increased cost for underwriting, as the picture cannot be delivered without the named element.”
