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Tom Cruise To Star In ‘Methuselah’ And New ‘The Mummy’ Movie, And Why He’s Stopped Talking About Scientology

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 02:17 PST, Dec 19, 2016

Tom Cruise has charmed and thrilled audiences with his good looks, incredible talent, and starring roles in movies like Legend, Vanilla Sky, Cocktail, Risky Business, and The Color of Money. Movies like Mission: Impossible, Minority Report, Jack Reacher, Oblivion, and Edge of Tomorrow have made Cruise a worldwide celebrity, one who plays characters saving the world from conniving terrorists, villains, and the apocalypse.

However, It’s Cruise’s role as Agent Ethan Hunt, a professional spy in the Mission: Impossible film series, that made him a household name around the globe. The Mission: Impossible film series is so popular that the franchise is still very much in demand, with the sixth installment of the film series due to be released in 2017.

Soon, the talented actor will be playing the role of a Biblical character who’s not only considered the longest living man to date but whose death was linked to the Great Flood, caused by God to punish humans for their sins. Slash Film reports that Tom Cruise will be playing the role of Methuselah in an upcoming movie to be directed by Joachim Ronning, the famous Norwegian director who worked on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

According to the records of the Old Testament, Methuselah lived for 969 years, and the Great Flood occurred soon after his death. The upcoming movie is set to be based on Methuselah’s life and will depict how he developed the skills necessary to survive.

Even though he’ll be playing a Biblical character, Tom Cruise is an ardent follower of Scientology, a religious system which encourages followers to achieve spiritual fulfillment through self-knowledge. Cruise was introduced to Scientology in 1986 by his ex-wife, Mimi Rogers, and since then he’s firmly adhered to the beliefs and ideas stipulated by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. The actor regularly attends meetings and get-togethers arranged in various regional Scientology headquarters.

Recently, Cruise temporarily moved his base to Saint Hill Manor, Scientology’s UK headquarters, when he was filming The Mummy, the actor’s upcoming adventure-horror film (which, as the Verge explained, is nothing to do with Brendan Fraser’s movie series of the same name).

According to the Guardian, Cruise revealed his devotion to Scientology and commented on the benefits the religious system has brought to his life.

“It [Scientology] is something that has helped me incredibly in my life. I’ve been a Scientologist for over 30 years. It’s something that is, you know… without it, I wouldn’t be where I am. So, it’s a beautiful religion. I’m incredibly proud.”

However, Scientology has created serious problems in Cruise’s married life, with both Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes divorcing him because they were unwilling to share in his devotion to Scientology. There was a time when Kidman and Tom Cruise were considered Scientology’s golden couple; however, Cruise and their daughter Isabella disowned Kidman after the actress stopped following Scientology.

Scientologists are required to sever ties with friends and family members who exhibit antagonism towards the religion. Fearing she might lose her daughter as well, Katie Holmes, Cruise’s most recent wife, split with the actor because of her negative attitude towards the religion.

Currently, Tom Cruise refuses to comment on Scientology because it causes media controversy, and according to the Guardian, the actor has decided to refrain from discussing his beliefs to avoid any controversy during his film promotions.

“If I do talk about it, it becomes, ‘Oh, he’s proselytizing.’ Reviewing the whole thing I decided… when I’m promoting a film, I’m not going to get caught up in anything else, and that includes all my personal things.”

[Featured Image by Ken Ishii/Getty Images]

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