Editing Christopher McQuarrie (section)

===2008–2013: Further writing, producing===
McQuarrie first met frequent collaborator [[Tom Cruise]] after he sought a meeting with the actor via [[Cruise/Wagner Productions]], hoping simply to unload a screenplay in order to pay his debts and exit the film industry.<ref name="theinsidepitch">{{cite AV media |interviewer-last1=Lockhart |interviewer-first1=Chris |interviewer-last2=Santanam |interviewer-first2=Ramesh |people= |last=McQuarrie |first=Christopher |date=July 17, 2020 |title=THE INSIDE PITCH WITH CHRISTOPHER MCQUARRIE |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-x25qR6dsU |trans-title= |format=Video |work= |type=Podcast |language= |location= |publisher=theinsidepitch |access-date=May 10, 2025 |time=1:07:44}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hertz |first1=Barry |title=Meet Christopher McQuarrie, wingman to Tom Cruise’s death-defying maverick |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-meet-christopher-mcquarrie-wingman-to-tom-cruises-death-defying/ |access-date=April 7, 2025 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=July 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809120428/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-meet-christopher-mcquarrie-wingman-to-tom-cruises-death-defying/ |archive-date=August 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> This screenplay, co-written with Nathan Alexander, later turned into ''[[Valkyrie (film)|Valkyrie]]'', which opened on December 25, 2008 and would also be the first film where McQuarrie served as a producer. The film is based on the real-life [[20 July plot|July 20, 1944 plot]] to assassinate [[Adolf Hitler]]. While researching the screenplay, the writers had access to members of the Stauffenberg family; consulted a book written by [[Fabian von Schlabrendorff]], a conspirator who survived;<ref name=suicidegirls>{{cite web|url=http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Christopher+McQuarrie%3A+Valkyrie|title=Christopher McQuarrie: Valkyrie|publisher=[[SuicideGirls.com]]|date=December 24, 2008|access-date=December 24, 2008}}.</ref> and spoke with Hitler's surviving bodyguard.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} The film, directed by Bryan Singer, received the [[BMI Film Music Award]] and the [[Bambi Award]] for Courage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0985699/awards/ |website=IMDB |access-date=June 28, 2023}}</ref> Though McQuarrie initially only took a producing credit on the film for its associated pay increase, he decided to fully involve himself in its production following a conversation with [[Paula Wagner]], which led to him deciding against leaving the business. In this conversation, McQuarrie received the reins of being Cruise's primary creative partner from Wagner, as she could no longer fill the role due to her increased commitments with [[United Artists]].<ref name="theinsidepitch"/>

In 2009, McQuarrie was hired to pen the script for the then-untitled ''[[The Wolverine (film)|The Wolverine]]''.<ref name="Wolverine2">{{cite web|last=Bishop|first=Jackson|url=https://collider.com/wolverine-sequel-uses-its-healing-factor-and-hires-christopher-mcquarrie/|title=''Wolverine'' Sequel Uses Its Healing Factor and Hires Christopher McQuarrie|date=August 13, 2009|work=Collider|access-date=April 10, 2019}}</ref> He also  co-wrote the 2010 film ''[[The Tourist (2010 film)|The Tourist]]'' with [[Julian Fellowes]], [[Jeffrey Nachmanoff]] and director [[Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck]]. It starred [[Johnny Depp]] and [[Angelina Jolie]] and grossed US$278 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tourist.htm|title=''The Tourist''|website= [[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=August 28, 2014}}</ref> It received three [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations and several other awards, among them the Redbox Movie Award for the most rented drama of 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/scandal-flops-expensive-private-life-steady-decline-johnny-depp/tourist-mocked-golden-globes/|title=Scandal, flops and a very expensive private life: charting the steady decline of Johnny Depp|date=May 25, 2017|work=The Telegraph|access-date=July 31, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> McQuarrie then provided uncredited rewrites on the 2011 action spy film ''[[Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol]]'' during the film's production.<ref name="GhostProtocol" />
[[File:Christopher McQuarrie (8237747500).jpg|thumb|McQuarrie at the ''Jack Reacher'' premiere]]
In 2011, McQuarrie directed his second feature, ''[[Jack Reacher (film)|Jack Reacher]]'', an adaptation of ''[[One Shot (novel)|One Shot]]'', the ninth in the series of 21 [[Jack Reacher]] novels by [[Lee Child]]. Filming began in the [[Pittsburgh metropolitan area]] on October 3, 2011, and continued through the end of January 2012. The movie was released in December 2012 by [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Joshua|last=Falk|date=September 9, 2011|title=Tom Cruise movie 'One Shot' confirmed for Pittsburgh|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11252/1173378-100.stm|access-date=September 10, 2011|archive-date=September 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926085241/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11252/1173378-100.stm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, McQuarrie stepped in to rewrite the script for ''[[World War Z (film)|World War Z]]'' after [[Drew Goddard]] and [[Damon Lindelof]] left the film.<ref name="WWZ2">{{cite web|last=Newman|first=Nick|url=https://thefilmstage.com/news/drew-goddard-replaced-damon-lindelof-on-world-war-z-rewrites-christopher-mcquarrie-possibly-coming-aboard/|title=Drew Goddard Replaced Damon Lindelof on ''World War Z'' Rewrites; Christopher McQuarrie Possibly Coming Aboard|date=July 11, 2012|work=The Film Stage|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-date=April 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411013142/https://thefilmstage.com/news/drew-goddard-replaced-damon-lindelof-on-world-war-z-rewrites-christopher-mcquarrie-possibly-coming-aboard/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="WWZ">{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|url=https://deadline.com/2013/06/world-war-z-helmer-marc-forster-reflects-on-watching-his-zombie-movie-get-fed-through-the-gossip-woodchipper-526701/|title=''World War Z'' Helmer Marc Forster Reflects On Watching His Zombie Movie Get Fed Through The Gossip Woodchipper|date=June 21, 2013|work=Deadline|access-date=April 10, 2019}}</ref>

2013 saw the release of McQuarrie's fourth collaboration with Singer, ''[[Jack the Giant Slayer]]'', co-written by McQuarrie. Critical reviews were mixed, and it was a box office failure, grossing only US$198 million against an estimated US$240 million budget (excluding promotion).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026132705/http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/movies/jack-the-giant-killer-2012 ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' box office receipts], boxoffice.com; accessed August 28, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jack_the_giant_slayer ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' reviews], rottentomatoes.com; accessed August 28, 2014.</ref> McQuarrie co-wrote the 2014 science fiction action thriller ''[[Edge of Tomorrow]]'' with [[Jez Butterworth|Jez]] and [[John-Henry Butterworth]], based on the Japanese novel ''[[All You Need Is Kill]]''. While the film underperformed at the box office on its opening weekend, earning only US$28.8 million, it received strong reviews and became a word-of-mouth hit, grossing just over US$100 million at the domestic box office.