© 2000 Paramount

The spring start date means Spielberg, who recently completed "A.I." and Cruise, now filming Cameron Crowe's "Vanilla Sky," will be battling the ever-threatening summer actor's strike. In their favor, the duo's star power should bring "Minority" to the promised land before the strike tsunami thunders ashore. Hell, they might cancel the strike altogether just because Spielberg and Cruise aren't in the mood.

With "A.I." and "Minority," Spielberg is returning to his science fiction roots. Both films are adaptations of short stories, although "A.I." is more of a character study than an action film (see our A.I. Spotlight Page). "Minority," however, appears to be a whizzing, booming movie filled with scientific doo-dads. Based on Philip K. Dick's work of the same title, "Minority" is set in a future American society where psychics guide police to criminals before crimes are committed. Upcomingmovies.com says the phrase "minority report" comes from the story's judicial process. Criminals are fingered based on the majority decision from a three-person panel. In cases where the dissenting individual is proven correct it's deemed a "minority report."

Finding confirmed plot details on "Minority" is an exercise in butt-squirming futility (I speak from experience), but it appears the film will focus on a cop (Cruise) whose brother (possibly Colin Farrell) scampers from the law before he can be apprehended. Jenna Elfman and Cate Blanchett are possible co-stars, but neither actress has signed.

"Minority" is slated for a Summer 2002 release, which puts it against art house fare like "Episode II" and "Spider-Man."