Tom Cruise-Aneesh Chaganty to Team Up

Byline: Puja Talwar

American filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, who has Telugu roots, is very likely to collaborate with Tom Cruise on his next project.

According to insiders at Paramount Studios, discussions are in progress for Tom Cruise to come onboard for Chaganty’s next film, Doppelgänger.

Though an official announcement is awaited, insiders say it’s more or less settled.

The original spy thriller, acquired by Paramount, is envisioned as a potential franchise vehicle for Cruise. The film reportedly centres on a CIA agent whose life is thrown into danger when Russian intelligence discovers a Brazilian man who is his exact double.

Aneesh Chaganty, best known for Searching and Run, has reportedly been reworking the script to suit Cruise’s preferences. Multiple meetings are said to have taken place in Florida. Excited Indian fans say the proposed film could well be the Hollywood equivalent of SRK’s Don.

Thirty-five-year-old Aneesh, born to Telugu immigrant parents, began his career making short films in 2007. The first feature he directed was the 2018 thriller Searching.

Chaganty was included in the 2019 Forbes Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list, and in 2021 was recognised by Gold House as one of the leading South Asian voices in entertainment.

The potential collaboration comes as Cruise appears to be moving beyond the Mission: Impossible franchise, with the 2025 release The Final Reckoning expected to be his final outing as Ethan Hunt.