Tom Cruise Shepherding the "Lambs"

Finally the megastar has made a decision. Variety revealed that Tom Cruise has ultimately reached a deal to star in "Lions for Lambs", a dramatic feature slated to be financed by United Artists which the actor has revived with his C/W partner Paula Wagner for MGM.

Joining A-list thespians Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, here Cruise will portray a congressman who interacts with a journalist, played by Streep, in one of three interconnected storylines that build the picture. Filming is scheduled to start early next year to meet a fall 2007 release with Redford to direct from script written by Matthew Carnahan.

Cruise, who received tremendous boost in his career after starring in "Top Gun", is last seen on the big screen reprising his role as Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible 3" together with Ving Rhames. His past film credits included "The Firm", "Jerry Maguire", "Vanilla Sky", and "The Last Samurai."