MovieMantz Rantz: Tom Vs. Tom

Tom Hanks must be feeling really good these days!  Just when the two-time Oscar-winner thought he had it all, now comes word that he cracked the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Actor with the Most Consecutive $100 Million Grossing Movies.”

Those 7 back-to-back box office hits started with 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan” and capped with 2002’s “Catch Me if You Can.”

That’s quite an impressive feat.  Too bad it won’t last much longer.

That’s because the other Tom — that would be Tom Cruise — is about to tie that record in a matter of days.

Up until now, Cruise had 6 consecutive $100 million grossing films, starting with 2000’s “M:I-2” and culminating with last year’s “War of the Worlds.”  But as soon as “M:i:III” passes $100 million at the box office — which it will do so in about a week or so — then that will bring Cruise’s tally to 7, tying with Mr. Hanks.

Sure hope those folks at Guinness are ready for a reprint!

Here’s the breakdown, for those of you who really care…

TOM HANKS     
Saving Private Ryan (1998): $216.1m 
You’ve Got Mail (1998):  $115.7m 
Toy Story 2 (1999):  $245.8m 
The Green Mile (1999):  $136.8m 
Cast Away (2000):  $233.6m 
Road to Perdition (2002): $104.1m 
Catch Me if You Can (2002): $164.4m 

TOM CRUISE
M:I-2 (2000):   $215.4m
Vanilla Sky (2001):  $100.6m
Minority Report (2002):  $132m
The Last Samurai (2003): $111.1m
Collateral (2004):  $100.1m
War of the Worlds (2005): $234.3m
M:i:III (2006):   ??????