WhenMission: Impossible 7and8finally come out, Tom Cruise would have accomplished the brave feat of playing secret agent Ethan Hunt into his sixties, and Paramount wants to make sure that milestone is treated as such.
To put things into context, since the firstMission: Impossiblecame out in 1996 the then 34-year-old Cruise has starred in a total of six films for the franchise, set to be capped at eight entries whenMI:8releases in 2024, which would see him match the combined movie output of both Pierce Brosnan andDaniel Craig as James Bond. AlthoughMission: Impossible films have had their highs and lows in terms of quality, recent entries are regarded as some of the best in the series, a standard the studio will want to uphold in Cruise’s final two outings.
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According to a recent report from Variety, that is precisely the idea Paramount is gunning for withMI:7andMI:8. One of the key ideas to achieve this would be havingMI:8filming complete by the timeMI:7is out in theaters come July 2023, because the latter could feature a cliffhanger ending and Cruise wants a “seamless transition” between the two movies. Both films were originally intended to be filmed at the same time by director Christopher McQuarrie, until added the extra logistics andcosts the COVID pandemic forced ontoMission Impossiblebecame too much to bear.
Contrary to most modern films,all those impressiveMission: Impossiblestuntsare often put together on real filming locations instead of large hangars with green screens. This is a creative choice that fans definitely appreciate but one that also disrupts the production phase.MI:7andMI:8are not the only Cruise movies distributed by Paramount that fans have been eagerly anticipating for the past two years, thoughTop Gun: Maverickdoes appear to have its May 27 premiere target fully locked.
It seems almost natural for the final twoMission: Impossiblefilms to be all about Cruise, as the actor’s legacy in the role is a huge component of why these movies have remained consistently popular and profitable for almost three decades. While every time a 007 actor retires from the role rumors about his replacement begin instantly, there’s hardly any talk of anyone ever replacing or taking up Cruise’s mantle.
Ethan Hunt is undoubtedly the world’s most famous secret agent, and considering thecontrasting styles theMission: Impossibleand James Bondfranchises feature, the two spies would probably be more like admirers of each other’s craft rather than competitors. At least by the time Cruise retires, a new Bond should be ready to suit up as 007.
Mission: Impossible 7is set to release on Jul 28, 2025, andMission: Impossible 8is scheduled for June 22, 2025.
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