Ben Stiller has discussed making a ‘Tropic Thunder’ spin-off movie with Tom Cruise.

The 59-year-old actor starred in and directed the 2008 satirical comedy – which featured Cruise, 62, as the foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman – and has revealed he has spoken with the Mission: Impossible star about potentially making a spin-off for the character, though has insisted “nothing is in the works” at the moment.

In an interview with Extra, Stiller said: “There have been some interchanges about it over the years, yeah.

“Look, Tom Cruise — one of my favorite human beings, one of our great movie stars of all time — it would be fun, but there is nothing in the works. But we have discussed it in the past.”

In 2022, it was reported by Deadline that Cruise was considering making a Tropic Thunder spin-off with his Top Gun: Maverick director Christopher McQuarrie, though updates on the project have been scarce since.

Tropic Thunder – which also stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. – follows a film crew who are forced to rely on their acting skills to navigate a real war zone in Southeast Asia after the movie’s director (Steve Coogan) dies in an accident.

While he believed Tropic Thunder wouldn’t make it past the “script phase” now, Stiller insisted he “wouldn’t not make it today”.

He added: “Somebody should be making movies that are that out-there. If it is clear where the joke is, and it is clear what your point of view is, you have to take those chances … comedy is going to get there.”

Previously, Stiller admitted it was unlikely the film could be made today because “edgier comedy is harder to do”.