Next for Cruise?

For an A-list guy, Tom Cruise has been in limbo for a surprising amount of time after his notorious TROPIC THUNDER appearance and moderate success with VALKYRIE.

The miniature blockbuster maker has been hovering around quite a few projects but hasn’t pulled the trigger on any one — although he’s currently got writers working overtime banging them into shape.

On his possible “To Do” list at the moment are the thriller MOTORCADE from director Len Wiseman (UNDERWORLD, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD), about a terrorist plot on the President’s LA tour.

He’s also seriously eyeballing THE TOURIST, a tale of international intrigue from director Bharat Nalluri, an action-comedy called WICHITA with his VANILLA SKY co-star Cameron Diaz and director James Mangold (3:10 TO YUMA), and David Cronenberg’s spy project THE MATARESE CIRCLE, which would pit Tom against Denzel Washington (c’mon, Tommy — do this one!).

While several writers are expanding their bank accounts for their sudden and swift script services, Cruise has apparently lost interest in the political thriller THE 28TH AMENDMENT (which would have seen him in the Oval Office) and a romcom called LOST FOR WORDS. Needless to say, he also vacated the role of EDWIN A. SALT, leaving that spy to be transgendered for Angelina Jolie.