So, there had a to be a reason the 2010 MTV Movie Awards featured multiple appearances by Tom Cruise in his producer Les Grossman character from the 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder - and that reason's just been made clear. Paramount Pictures and MTV Films just revealed they're in development on a movie all about the Les Grossman character. Tropic Thunder writer/director/star Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld, and Tom Cruise are producing the as-yet-untitled Grossman project.

Michael Bacall's working on the script.

Paramount teased the project by presenting the information as if Grossman actually exists. "Les Grossman's life story is an inspiring tale of the classic human struggle to achieve greatness against all odds," said Ben Stiller. "He has assured me he plans to quote, 'F**king kill the sh*t out of this movie and make Citizen f**king Kane look like a piece of crap home movie by the time we are done.' I am honored to be working with him."

And of course the press release included a quote attributed to Grossman: "To quote my great friend Kirk Lazarus, 'I don't read the script, the script reads me.'"

Continuing the 'he's a real person' shtick, Paramount Film Group President Adam Goodman stated, "Everything I learned in this business, I've learned from Les. I started out as his assistant, and from the first day he threw his desk at me when I got his lunch order wrong, I have loved him like a father. I am forever grateful to Ben and Stuart Cornfeld and their ability to secure his highly-coveted life rights."

So there you have it.

The reason Cruise took part in all those commercials mentoring celebs (including Robert Pattinson) leading up to the MTV Movie Awards, and why the show itself had so many Grossman segments, was to pump up the interest in a Les Grossman film. It makes sense and, based on the response to Cruise's work on the show, the move paid off.

<sub>(Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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