Tom Cruise And Russell Brand Co-Star In 'Rock Of Ages' - Who's The Real Star?

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Tom Cruise is a brave man, taking on Russell Brand for the skinny-jeaned girly-haired hero of Rock of Ages.

These two prove unlikely companions in this fairytale of how rock and roll dreams can come true - as long as you have enough leather, guitars and a bevy of groupies wanting autographs in strange places.

The film based on the Broadway musical now also enjoying success in London's West End, is due out next summer.

Although the central story is of an innocent young couple, played by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, the real attention is already on the A-list roll call including Cruise, Brand, Mary J Blige, Paul Giamatti, Malin Ackerman, Alec Baldwin and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Tom Cruise has surprised his fans before, increasingly moving away from his boy-next-door image as he approaches his 50th birthday next summer.

In turns such as Magnolia - where he played a self-denying sex guru - and Tropic Thunder, where he was almost unrecognisable under layers of blubber, he proved he's by no means limited to the action hero of Top Gun through Days of Thunder, or his lucrative Mission Impossible franchise.

Will his head-banging, hair-swinging, chest-thumping Stacee Jaxx bring him the Oscar he didn't win for Jerry Maguire or Born on the Fourth of July (nominated for both)? Probably not, but he gets to camp it up massively to a soundtrack of Starship, Def Leppard and Foreigner, which is probably infinitely more satisfying.

The film's not in UK cinemas until June 2012, but here's the trailer above...