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Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

• Christopher McQuarrie
• Bruce Geller
• Henry Cavill
• Ving Rhames
• 1.8K User reviews
• 438 Critic reviews
• 87 Metascore
• 25 wins & 41 nominations total

• August Walker

• Luther Stickell

• Solomon Lane

• Erika Sloane

• The White Widow

• Alan Hunley

• Nils Debruuk

• Wolf Blitzer

• Rowdy Frenchman

• (as Andrew Cazanave-Pin)

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Tom Cruise trained for an entire year to perform the HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) stunt in this film.
• Goofs While the specifications for the bomb were being revealed, an explosive yield of five megatons was mentioned. This would be impossible since a Plutonium core alone would only be capable of a fission reaction measured in kilotons of TNT. A second or even third stage involving a fusion reaction would be necessary to achieve an explosive yield in the multi-megaton range. This would require fuels such as lithium-6 deuteride and tritium and a much more complex design than what was shown in the movie.

Delivery Man : Fate whispers to the warrior.

Ethan Hunt : A storm is coming.

Delivery Man : And the warrior whispers back.

Ethan Hunt : I am the storm.

• Crazy credits The opening credits sequence showed various scenes that foreshadowed the movie.
• Alternate versions In India, the film has been certified UA (12+) by the Indian Censor Board with references to Kashmir being chopped off, resulting in some abrupt edits.
• Connections Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Tom Cruise/Parker Posey/Jorja Smith (2018)
• Soundtracks The Mission: Impossible Theme Written by Lalo Schifrin

User reviews 1.8K

• melwinbauer
• Jan 2, 2022
• How long is Mission: Impossible - Fallout? Powered by Alexa
• Why didn't Jeremy Renner return for this film?
• Who was the White Widows's mother "Max" that she mentioned during her speech?
• What's the Rabbit's Foot?
• July 27, 2018 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
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• Mission: Impossible VI
• Preacher's Pulpit, Forsand, Norway (Helicopter crash scene)
• Paramount Pictures
• Skydance Media
• TC Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $178,000,000 (estimated)
• $220,159,104
• $61,236,534
• Jul 29, 2018
• $791,658,205

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 27 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• IMAX 6-Track
• 12-Track Digital Sound

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The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Injury Filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout, And The Scene Where The Stunt Happens In The Movie

He had a mission to accomplish...

There are few actors who push themselves to the breaking point more than Tom Cruise , who has long insisted on performing his own stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies. Over the course of the franchise’s history, Cruise has pulled off incredible feats like catching a lift on the outside of an airplane, climbing the tallest building in the world, and just about everything else asked of him.

But, that fearless approach to moviemaking isn’t without its risks and consequences, which the Top Gun : Maverick star found out the hard way during production on Mission: Impossible – Fallout when he broke his ankle in a stunt gone awry. More than a half-decade later, some may have forgotten what happened to Cruise on the set of the series’ sixth installment, what went down in the aftermath, and how the injury ended up being a blessing instead of a curse. Let’s break it down (no pun intended)...

Tom Cruise Broke His Ankle On The Set Of Mission: Impossible – Fallout In August 2017

In August 2017, production on Mission: Impossible – Fallout came to a screeching halt after Tom Cruise broke his ankle while performing one of the movie’s many stunts. In an on-set video published by TMZ , Cruise can be seen attempting to jump from one rooftop to another while on location in London, only to fall just short and smack into the facade of building. Though he was able to pull himself up, the actor limped around before being assisted by the stunt and production teams.

The extent of Cruise’s injuries were not immediately known, but Variety published a report a few days later explaining that the actor broke his ankle during the botched stunt. Citing a statement from Paramount Pictures, the article went on to say that the production would go on hiatus while the franchise star recovered.  

The Actor Was Out For Two Months While Recovering From His Injury

In the fallout of the Mission: Impossible injury, it was believed that the production would be delayed for a considerable amount of time, with Deadline reporting in August 2017 that the shoot would be shut down for a minimum of nine weeks and up to three months. With Tom Cruise out of action , it was also feared that the movie’s release date of July 27, 2018, would be delayed, but that ultimately ended up not being the case.

Around the same time, director Christiohper McQuarrie told Deadline that he wasn’t too worried about missing the premiere date, as he would start editing the already filmed footage while Cruise recovered and then would pick back up when the franchise star was able to resume. And that October, two months after the injury occurred, Cruise was back on set, with the Daily Mail reporting that the actor was seen flying a helicopter and driving a truck after returning to the shoot.

Tom Cruise Stayed In Character When The Injury Happened

Though Tom Cruise has ruined takes because he loves performing stunts so much, this wasn’t the case when it came to the Mission: Impossible – Fallout injury, as he remained in character and continued the scene before seeking help. During a January 2018 appearance on The Graham Norton Show , Cruise talked about the injury as the late night show’s host played footage of the stunt from virtually every angle imaginable.

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He eventually sought assistance, but can be seen continuing the take immediately after slamming into a wall, remaining in character the whole time. When telling Norton about the injury and shot, Cruise said:

I didn’t want to do it again. I knew instantly it was broken and I just run past the camera. It’s in the movie. That profile shot – both of those shots are in the movie.

Cruise, who appeared alongside co-stars Rebecca Ferguson , Henry Cavill , and Simon Pegg , went on to joke that after the botched stunt everyone from the crew got on the phone and started making vacation plans because he was going to be out of action for some time.

Where Does Tom Cruise Break His Ankle In Mission: Impossible – Fallout?

Spoiler Warning: The following section contains some major spoilers for Mission: Impossible – Fallout . If you have yet to watch the movie, please skip ahead.

Okay, so the shot of Cruise breaking his ankle was used in the final release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout , but where exactly does it take place in the movie? Well, if you have a Paramount+ subscription , where you can watch the Mission: Impossible movies streaming , you can skip ahead to one hour and 34 minutes into the film to see the infamous injury. 

The moment in question takes place during a thrilling foot-chase between Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and August Walker (Henry Cavill) and it’s discovered that Walker is actually John Lark , the movie’s villain. When attempting to get close to Lark, the IMF lead runs across the rooftops of London when one of his jumps is too short, resulting in the broken ankle.

Stream Mission: Impossible – Fallout on Paramount+.

Cruise Has Since Joked About The Injury Happening During One Of The ‘Easy’ Mission: Impossible Stunts

As mentioned earlier, Cruise has pulled off some of the most impressive stunts over the years, so much so that you could consider him a stuntman who occasionally acts. All of the Mission: Impossible movies, including the upcoming Dead Reckoning Part One have been sold on Cruise’s Ethan Hunt character increasingly upping the ante as far as the scope, scale, and danger of his heroics.

When talking about the Fallout injury on a July 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , Cruise joked about the whole situation, calling the London jump sequence “the easy one,” which got a massive laugh from the host and audience. But the actor wasn’t wrong, as some of the other stunts, including some in that particular film, were far more intense. 

Christopher McQuarrie Said The Injury Gave Him Time To Improve The Script

Though there were initial fears that Cruise’s injury would cause major delays and other problems for Fallout , the whole situation ended up helping director Chirstopher McQuarrie work out some issues with the movie . Ahead of the film’s July 2018 world premiere, the filmmaker explained to CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell how the injury became a blessing instead of a curse, saying:

What the ankle did was allow us to figure out the holes in the script that we were still struggling with. And so, we didn't rewrite the script to accommodate the ankle, but we finished the script because the ankle gave us the time.

And it all ended up working out in the end, as Fallout is considered one of the best action movies of all time and another great addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Ranking The Mission: Impossible Movies, From Good To Mind-Blowing

If there is one thing that can be said about Tom Cruise it is that he is willing to do anything and everything to give audiences the best and most exciting experience on the silver screen. With the actor continuing to push himself with his upcoming movies, including next year’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two , he’s not going to be slowing down (or let an injury get in the way) anytime soon.

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

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All of Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" movies, ranked from worst to best

• Tom Cruise has starred in seven "Mission: Impossible" movies since 1992.
• The actor recently reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in 2023's "Dead Reckoning Part One."
• Here are all of the "Mission: Impossible" movies, ranked from worst to best.

7. "Mission: Impossible 2" (2000)

"Mission: Impossible 2" should be given way more love than it gets — mainly because Hong Kong cinema legend John Woo helmed it. Yes, the "Hard Boiled" and "Bullet in the Head" director brought his signature bullet ballet style to the "Mission: Impossible" sequel, with all the slow-motion flair you could ask for.

Is it cheesy? Sure. Does the script need some work? Definitely. Is there any smart subtext or meaning underneath all the action? Absolutely not. This is a peak 2000s action movie, and it knows it. 

"Mission: Impossible 2" is so over the top that once you've made peace with it, it's best to just go along for the ride. Come on, Tom Cruise and Dougray Scott play motorbike chicken with each other before a mid-air tackle sends them both crashing to the ground… What's not to love? It's the type of vehicular chaos that Dominic Toretto would be proud of.

Even so, "Mission: Impossible 2" ranks at the bottom of the bunch.

6. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011)

The 2011 film "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" takes the franchise into the modern era. It follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they're forced to go on the run when they're framed for bombing the Kremlin.

It quickly becomes a race to stop nuclear strategist Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who wants to start a nuclear war so that only the strongest members of humanity will survive. 

It's this plot that keeps "Ghost Protocol" from ascending the list, because, as spy thrillers go, stopping a nuclear war feels predictable, and the film fails to do anything unique with the premise. Plus, there's nothing particularly extraordinary about Hendricks as a villain.

But generic plot devices aside, the film features some brilliant fights and gripping set pieces. The stand-out moment is when Cruise's hero climbs the Burj Khalifa in Dubai with nothing but sticky gloves and rope.

It's a nail-biting scene, especially when the gloves begin to fail and Hunt must stop himself from tumbling off the side of the building. 

One of the most surprising elements of the film is Jeremy Renner 's William Brandt, a disgraced former agent who's grappling with the guilt of failing Ethan on a former mission. That sub-plot works very well amongst the rest of the action, and it's a clever way of injecting a bit of heart into the mission.

5. "Mission: Impossible 3" (2006)

Two words: JJ Abrams . The "Lost" and "Fringe" creator took to the big screen in 2006 with "Mission: Impossible 3," which takes a mid-noughties approach to the Impossible Mission Force and gives it a brutal edge.

The sequel pits Ethan, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Zhen (Maggie Q), and Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) against nefarious arms dealer Owen Davian, played by the incomparable Phillip Seymour Hoffman .

Part of what elevates "Mission: Impossible 3" from previous films is that it never actually explains what Ethan and the gang are chasing. It's known only by its mysterious codename, the Rabbit's Foot. It could be an infectious disease, a computer virus, a hard drive teeming with currency, or nuclear codes… And that's what makes it so compelling. 

It's also refreshing to see Ethan settled and in love with Michelle Monahan's Julia Meade. What does married life look like for a superspy? How does that complicate his responsibility to save the world? 

The sequel feels very busy, as Abrams packs a lot into a tight two-hour run time. And some beats don't quite work, like Ethan's dynamic with his young mentee Lindsay Farris (played by Keri Russell). But there are some stellar sequences throughout, like the ballistic shoot-out on the bridge — which is an eye-popping piece of action choreography.

4. "Mission: Impossible" (1996)

Taken from the 1966 TV series of the same name, 1996's "Mission: Impossible" introduces Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) as he works for Jim Phelps ( Jon Voight ), the main character from the show. 

It has audiences instantly on their toes when Ethan's entire team, and Phelps, are assassinated by a double agent in the opening — and the hero goes on the run after being framed for their deaths.

"Mission: Impossible" earned itself a place in cinema history thanks to the brilliantly intense break-in scene, where Cruise is suspended on wires while hacking a CIA mainframe computer.

And of course, the high-octane ending on top of the channel tunnel train is a pulse-pounding affair set to the iconic theme music. 

Cruise effortlessly brings Hunt to life alongside top-notch performances from Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ving Rhames , which really help sell the paranoid atmosphere that director Brian De Palma bakes into the adventure.

3. "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" (2015)

"Rogue Nation" is where frequent Tom Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie properly put his stamp on the franchise, and he expands the world in a fascinating way with the introduction of the Syndicate, a vast organization made up of rogue agents from every intelligence agency on the planet.

Their mission (should they choose to accept it) is to create disorder and chaos to destabilize the global intelligence community, although their true goals don't become apparent until 2018's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." Hunt is determined to root out the Syndicate, and its sinister leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).

"Rogue Nation" also introduces Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a murky British agent who has a delicious will-they-won't-they dynamic with Cruise's hero.

A brawl in the rigging above an opera stage in Vienna is a stunning highlight, as is Cruise's dive into a submerged computer program. Cruise actually broke the world record for holding his breath for six minutes while completing that stunt in 2014.

2. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023)

"Dead Reckoning Part One" sees Hunt's IMF team chasing a key that will lead them to an unstoppable AI that could wreak havoc on the world if left unchecked.

And, of course, every government agency in the world wants to get their hands on it — so Hunt and his team are effectively on the run from everyone. 

"Dead Reckoning's" focus on AI gives it a grounding in the real world, but the film also continues to elevate the sheer scale of action that audiences have come to expect from the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. 

That jaw-dropping mountain jump in the movie's climax has to be seen to be believed, and it only gets more bonkers after that.

It's a testament to Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie that MI films continue to feel fresh and new — even though "Dead Reckoning's" script does drag on at points. 

Then again, audiences are coming to see Cruise throw himself off a mountain, not to hear Oscar-winning dialogue.

Let's hope "Dead Reckoning Part Two" is just as fun.

1. "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018)

There's no question that Christopher McQuarrie's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" is the best movie in the franchise, which is saying something considering it's the sixth outing for Hunt and the gang. 

It continues the Syndicate storyline from "Rogue Nation" and dives further into Solomon Lane's (Sean Harris) world-threatening scheme. He wants to destabilize the world by irradiating the Siachen Glacier, which supplies water to India, Pakistan, and China. This would kill off a third of the world's population and drastically change society in the process.  

But the bulk of the story revolves around a CIA and IMF mole who goes by the codename 'John Lark.'

The hunt to find this rogue agent crosses the world, introducing the likes of Henry Cavill's CIA agent August Walker and Vanessa Kirby's underworld matriarch, Alanna Mitsopolis. 

The scope of McQuarrie's movie is massive, and its huge stunts mirror that size. A gobsmacking scene sees Hunt dive with Walker from a plane and parachute into Paris. Cruise shot the stunt alongside a cameraman to properly capture the chaotic dive . 

Then, of course, there's the film's exhilarating helicopter chase through a New Zealand mountain range — just another example of McQuarrie and Cruise's commitment to filming these stunts in the most jaw-dropping way possible.

"Fallout" is a thrilling chapter of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise that deepens the audience's understanding of Cruise's hero while delivering a stunning cinematic experience.

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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Is Another Worthy Mission

Tom cruise and hayley atwell star in the latest film in the storied action franchise..

When a film’s biggest stunt is not even its most exciting, you know you’re in for a good time and that’s exactly what happens with Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One . It’s a film that not only sends the Mission franchise in an exciting new direction, it grounds things with a story that feels timely and important, while also being hugely exciting.

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Co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is the seventh film in a franchise that, by its nature, always has to outdo itself. And this time, like the previous installments, it does just that. However, the escalation here goes beyond just one big, signature stunt. In Dead Reckoning Part One , the franchise elevates itself with a more complex villain and a potential new member of the team, both of which improve, and complicate the film, in several ways.

Let’s first talk about the villain. Without giving away every single twist and turn (of which there are many, almost all of which are wholly delightful), Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team (Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg) now find themselves trying to stop something nicknamed the Entity, a faceless artificial intelligence that could potentially make any country the leader of the free world. Of course, we’ve seen many movies about the dangers of artificial intelligence over the years— b ut there’s just something about Mission doing it, at this precise moment in time, that makes it hit a little bit harder. McQuarrie also uses it to his advantage, creating situations and complications that added a strong sense of dread.

To stop the Entity, Ethan and the team must fight against several other interested parties to get two pieces of a key. What does the key do? How can it control the Entity? We don’t know. But we know that a mysterious thief named Grace (Hayley Atwell) has come into possession of one of the pieces . Ethan’s cat-and-mouse games with Grace drive much of the early scenes in the film, including an unforgettable car chase and a simple yet tense walk around the airport. But the character really blossoms when she’s forced to work with the team. Mission: Impossible , for the first time in several films, gets this injection of a pseudo-origin story as Grace must decide if she wants to continue on the run or buy fully into Ethan’s selfless ethos. Again, it’s a new feel for Mission and gives the movie a nice extra layer to consider.

Some issues do arise though. As the film is Part One , complete with the new main characters and a complex, tech-driven villain, Dead Reckoning can get a little convoluted and confusing at times. For example, there’s a nightclub scene featuring almost all the central characters, and as they sit around and talk for 10 minutes you may find yourself looking around as if to wonder, “What the heck are they talking about?” It’s a feeling that peeks its head up a few times throughout, including a subplot featuring a character played by Cary Elwes. However, by the end, the minutia of what’s happening mostly melts away. It all comes down to : g et the keys, stop the Entity, save the world.

As always, the Mission: Impossible f ranchise is also bolstered by its supporting characters. Rebecca Ferguson’s Elsa is back and is as devious, mysterious, and awesome as ever. Henry Czerny returns as Eugene Kittridge, a character not seen since the first film, who has a commanding presence and authority. Pom Klementieff joins the franchise as a vicious assassin who seems to be having more fun than every other single person in the movie. And then there’s Esai Morales as Gabriel, the human face of the Entity, who plays things so cool and calm that you can’t help but be terrified by him.

Then, of course, there’s the action. More than anything, Mission: Impossible is about giving audiences exciting action set pieces and Dead Reckoning delivers those in spades. In fact, the whole thing almost feels like it’s showing off. Like McQuarrie and Cruise are doing things no one has ever done before just because they can. There’s a charm in that confidence and as each scene gets more exciting and shocking than the last, it’s hard not to just let the whole thing wash over you. By the time the film gets to its highly publicized scene where Ethan drives a motorcycle off a cliff and base jumps in midair, you won’t be surprised to learn that’s just the beginning. What follows, and ends the movie, is arguably the best action scene in the series so far. It leaves you on an incredible high which balances the slight disappointment that, yes, it’s only Part One , and there’s still more of the story to go.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part On e isn’t the best Mission Impossible movie yet, but it’s one of the better ones. It’s a film that will please fans of the franchise, fans of action movies in general, and will sell even more tickets next year when the final piece comes out. It opens July 12.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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Henry Cavill Joins Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible 6’

By Justin Kroll

Justin Kroll

Film Reporter

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Henry Cavill is set to join Tom Cruise in Paramount and Skydance’s next installment in the “ Mission: Impossible ” franchise.

Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner are also expected to return, though it’s unknown in what capacity.

Christopher McQuarrie, who directed “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation,” is back to direct this sixth film from a script he wrote.

Plot details are still under wraps but sources say Cavill would play some sort of a right hand to the head of Cruise’s unit. Alec Baldwin played the role of Cruise’s boss in “Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation” but it is unknown if he will return as the part has been replaced with a new actor (Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Fishburne, Tom Wilkinson) in previous installments.

Cruise will produce along with David Ellison.

The film marks Cavill’s first major job since leaving CAA for WME. Cavill is best known as Superman in Zack Snyder’s most recent reboots and is expected to make his return in “Justice League” this November.

Cavill also has the Iraq war pic “Sand Castle” on Netflix premiering this spring. Besides WME, Cavill is also repped by manager Dany Garcia of the Garcia Companies and Gang, Tyre, Ramer and Brown.

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The Real Mission Impossible: Saying “No” to Tom Cruise

How the franchise superstar lawyered-up and out-gunned Paramount execs over costs, COVID and a last-minute submarine.

By Kim Masters

Kim Masters

Editor-at-Large

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Investors who heard Tom Cruise speak via video at Paramount ‘s Feb. 15 investors’ event must have come away thinking his relationship with the company was all harmony. Calling Shari Redstone his “dear friend,” he lavished praise on the studio and noted his “over 37-year relationship with Paramount that I’m very proud of and very grateful for.”

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That wasn’t the only point of friction. As Paramount flailed for material to pump up its fledgling streaming service, would Cruise allow his longtime studio home to develop a Days of Thunder series for the streamer? That idea was strangled in its cradle. The idea of developing a Mission: Impossible series was no-go, too, even though the property had begun life in the 1960s as a CBS show.

M:I 7 ‘s release date has been pushed four times; it’s now set for July 2023. By holding on to the film as a work in progress while working on the eighth, Cruise and his writer-director, Christopher McQuarrie, ensure that Paramount won’t have much luck imposing budget restrictions on what is allegedly the final installment in the franchise. It also gives Cruise — who has creative control — flexibility with respect to the cliffhanger ending of M:I 7 .

The notion that a studio can control spending on a Cruise movie is dismissed by executives who have been in the trenches with him. One says a studio can only hope to “influence” Cruise and McQuarrie. “Tom looks at [the money] he delivers to the studio,” says another. “Why wouldn’t you go do whatever you want? Who’s going to tell you not to?” These executives say Cruise is driven by his own perfectionism. “It’s not always in the best interest of the budget, but he is incredibly detailed and willing to put in an enormous amount of time and effort on every aspect,” says a source on M:I 7 . “The guy does give every ounce of his being to this endeavor,” confirms another.

No one can be blamed for COVID-19, or for the lousy luck that had M:I 7 start its shoot in northern Italy, hit hard early in the pandemic. Ultimately, both Cruise and McQuarrie — neither of whom was believed to be vaccinated at the time — contracted the virus, according to sources. McQuarrie’s illness was so severe that he was hospitalized in London, a source says. (Why the two weren’t vaccinated isn’t clear, but in Cruise’s case, it apparently was not because Scientology has taken a position against it, as some in town have speculated. Sources familiar with the organization’s policy say it has left the decision up to members.) Neither Cruise nor McQuarrie responded to a request for comment.

The decision to make the films was set in 2018, when Paramount Pictures’ then-CEO Jim Gianopulos and his team flew to London to hear a pitch for the two installments. Everyone in the meeting would have known that Gianopulos had to say yes. Paramount’s cupboard was bare. The Transformers films had stalled; the 2017 installment, The Last Knight , had gone well over budget and would lose $100 million, according to a knowledgeable source. The studio had no other surefire franchises.

But the Mission: Impossible series was stronger than it had ever been.

At the pitch in London, there was a treatment but no scripts. “The hardest part of running a studio is your desperate need for tentpoles,” says an executive who has managed a previous Cruise film. “If you don’t have a locked script, it’s impossible to pencil [the budget] out.”

As anyone who has heard a Cruise pitch will tell you, the star is very hard to resist. “He is the consummate salesman,” says an executive who has experienced Cruise’s powers of persuasion. “His ability to charm people and his enthusiasm are completely genuine.” McQuarrie was just as compelling. In January 2019, Cruise announced the next two installments, with the first to be released in July 2021 and the second in August 2022.

The production moved to Rome, only to stop again March 9, when the Italian government locked down the country. Cast and crew resumed work in July after British authorities gave the production special dispensation to skip a mandatory 14-day quarantine. After Cruise called the country’s minister of culture, Norway also gave permission to shoot without observing the country’s 10-day quarantine requirement. (The British tabloid The Sun reported that Cruise paid $676,000 for a cruise ship so cast and crew could isolate.) Back in Italy in October 2020, the film shut down for a third time after a dozen people on set tested positive for the coronavirus. According to a source, one of Cruise’s security guards had a gathering in his hotel room that also led to some cases. The production moved to Venice, only to be shut down for the fourth time because of positive tests.

In December 2020, with the production shooting outside London, The Sun got hold of an audiotape of Cruise dressing down the crew, supposedly after he saw a couple of people standing too close together. Framing the production as a model for the industry, he said, “I’m on the phone with every fucking studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherfuckers!” He added, “If I see you do it again, you’re fucking gone!” The overall public reaction seemed supportive, with an article in The Atlantic calling it “cathartic, even comforting” to hear Cruise call for safety.

After that, Jake Myers, credited as an executive producer on Rogue Nation in 2015 and a producer on Fallout in 2018, left the production. He had been set to remain with the franchise through the final film. A source says he was taking the blame for lax protocols. Myers did not respond to requests for comment.

On Feb. 14, 2021, McQuarrie posted on Instagram that the production just needed a few “finishing touches” (which it still awaits). Meanwhile, in response to a COVID-19 surge in the U.K., the shoot shut down for the fifth time.

Early in 2021, in the midst of these struggles, Gianopulos informed Cruise that the film would receive a 45-day theatrical window before moving to Paramount+. The studio had to know how unwelcome this news would be.

Says an associate, “Jim was bridging between what [Paramount’s] Shari [Redstone] and [president and CEO] Bob [Bakish] wanted and what Jim felt was the right thing to do,” which was to protect the relationship with Cruise. “Part of the reason [Jim] is gone is that Shari and Bob thought they could wave a magic wand” and persuade the star to accept the shortened window.

Cruise is one of the last dollar-one gross players in the business, so box office receipts are key to his compensation. (He makes much more from the films than the studio does.) A source says Gianopulos had relied on the advice of Paramount Pictures COO Andrew Gumpert that the studio had the power to shrink M:I 7 ‘s theatrical window. (Paramount declined to comment.) But language in Cruise’s contract said the movie had to be handled in a manner consistent with the previous film. Cruise called his lawyers.

For Gianopulos, who tended his talent relationships as carefully as anyone in the business, this kind of breach was undoubtedly deeply upsetting. He had so few key relationships to protect at Paramount and had already fought to hold A Quiet Place Part II for theatrical release to avoid a clash with John Krasinski. A source says Gianopulos tried to use data to show Cruise that the industry had changed and most of the film’s box office revenue would be generated in the first 45 days. “That was not an easy thing for Jim to have to do,” this insider says. “Tom is so committed to theatrical.” The two sides agreed to postpone the argument.

Paramount had a $100 million insurance policy and maintains that Federal Insurance Company must pay for the added costs of moving locations to dodge the virus, dealing with multiple shutdowns, and incurring the extra expense of complying with COVID-19 protocols. The insurer paid $5 million for losses incurred due to an unspecified castmember’s February 2020 illness at the outset of the shoot — presumably Cruise’s indisposition that was not COVID. The insurer declined to pay for most of the other expenses incurred, prompting Paramount to sue. The case is pending.

For weeks in the summer of 2021, rumors had started to circulate in Hollywood that Gianopulos would be replaced by Brian Robbins, the head of Nickelodeon and chief content officer of kids and family for Paramount+. Robbins had a digital background and was believed to have won Redstone over with his plan to devote himself to building the streaming service with relatively inexpensive fare. Gianopulos, thinking his position was secure, went to London in September to negotiate with Cruise and McQuarrie, who had made a late decision to throw a submarine sequence into M:I 7 . The submarine was already set to appear in 8 , and adding it to 7 would, of course, contribute to cost overruns on that film. Sources say Gianopulos wanted to close out the budget on 7 and he wanted a script for 8 , which would be key to making at least an attempt to control the budget.

According to this source, Bakish told Gianopulos, “It’s going to be a very different studio going forward, like nothing you’ve ever run before.” A Paramount insider says Bakish conveyed “that going forward the studio was going to be much more closely integrated with the company.” That appears to be code for catering to the streaming service. Whether Redstone will really try to compete in streaming against larger competitors like Disney and Netflix, or whether she will ultimately sell her media empire, remains an open question.

Under the new regime, Paramount has sent somewhat confusing signals about its plans for movies. At its February investor day, producer J.J. Abrams announced a new Star Trek project that would start shooting at the end of the year, with the cast from the rebooted version, which includes Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldaña. But castmembers had no deals in place, no idea that they were expected to start filming this year or that any announcement of the project would be made. Sources said there was no completed script, no budget, no green light.

Robbins — despite his past as a child actor, director and producer — has never made a mega-budget movie and certainly never dealt with anything on the scale of a Mission: Impossible before. He has set about developing a relationship with Cruise, but he couldn’t persuade the star to finish M:I 7 before moving on to M:I 8 . He did, however, ask for and receive a script for 8 . But that script doesn’t seem likely to be set in stone — after all, Cruise and McQuarrie decided to add a submarine to 7 after the film was supposed to have been wrapped.

The challenges before Robbins are clear. He has to manage the cost of M:I 8 , theoretically Cruise’s last outing as Hunt and no doubt the most ambitious of the bunch. And he still has to resolve the standoff over the seventh movie’s theatrical window, which will presumably also involve the handling of the eighth. Cruise has shot some of the latter film in South Africa, but will have to hit pause for the publicity tour for Top Gun: Maverick , a film that studio insiders are certain is going to be a hit and thus make their biggest star an even more valuable partner.

A veteran of Tom Cruise movies laughs when asked how Robbins is likely to fare. This is the way these things go, he says: “Tom says what he wants and the studio says what it wants. And then Tom gets what he asked for.”

This story first appeared in the March 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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Paramount Keeping ‘M:I 6 – Mission Impossible’ Date Despite Broken Ankle For Tom Cruise

By Mike Fleming Jr

Mike Fleming Jr

Co-Editor-in-Chief, Film

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UPDATED with Paramount statement : Paramount just issued an official statement regarding Tom Cruise and Mission: Impossible 6 . The studio expects to keep its summer 2018 date despite the star’s broken ankle.

Per Paramount: “During production on the latest Mission: Impossible film, Tom Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt. Production will go on hiatus while Tom makes a full recovery, and the film remains on schedule to open July 27, 2018. Tom wants to thank you all for your concern and support and can’t wait to share the film with everyone next summer.”

PREVIOUSLY, 10:11 AM : The well-publicized stunt mishap that saw Tom Cruise leap from one building and slam into another has prompted Paramount and Skydance to shut down production for a minimum of nine weeks and up to three months on M:I 6 – Mission Impossible, because that is how long it will take for Cruise’s injuries to heal. This almost certainly will unseat the film from its July 27, 2018, release date.

While it looked like Cruise’s torso took the brunt of the damage, word has been circulating that he suffered a broken foot or ankle. The star was supposed to be seeing a doctor today for a final verdict, but rumors are rampant that the picture is halting.

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Cruise is famous for doing what look like incredibly dangerous stunts. On previous Mission: Impossible films, that included Cruise swinging around on the outside of a Dubai skyscraper, 1700 feet off the ground for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , and  more recently hanging on the outside of an Airbus 400 on takeoff for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation .

Cruise emerged unscathed on both occasions. But given the recent death of trained stunt performers on The Walking Dead — where John Bernecker fell 30 feet to his death rehearsing a fight scene — and on Deadpool 2 —  where Joi “SJ” Harris days ago careened out of control and died in a motorcycle crash — there are great dangers in this pursuit. It seems likely that Cruise’s co-producers and film backers will push back a little harder next time the prideful star, who is incredibly fit but turned 55 years old in July, eschews a stuntman and insists on putting himself as risk like this.

Cruise is no reckless cowboy here: the star is meticulous in planning with stunt coordinators those signature shots where he puts himself at risk. He has told me that he truly feels that certain stunts in movies that don’t have the star in the shot look fake enough to take the audience out of the movie. When I asked him how he can strap on a harness and swing around the outside of a skyscraper 120 floors up, Cruise reasoned that he wasn’t bothered by the height; and if he was doing the same shot 20 floors up and fell, he would die from a mishap. So what difference should another 100 floors make? He is the only superstar who thinks that way, of course.

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Tom Cruise injured during Mission: Impossible 6 shoot

Actor filmed mistiming leap between two buildings and crashing into wall, but it is not known how serious his injuries are

Tom Cruise has been filmed in apparent pain after a stunt for his new film Mission: Impossible 6 went awry.

Cruise was performing a scene for the latest instalment of the long-running franchise in London. It involved him jumping between two buildings with the assistance of a safety harness. Footage recorded by TMZ shows him mistiming his leap and crashing into the side of the second building. The actor was able to pull himself up onto the roof of the building but was then seen limping heavily before collapsing next to members of the film’s crew. It is not yet known what the extent of Cruise’s injuries are or whether he received hospital treatment.

Cruise is something of a rarity among Hollywood actors for insisting on performing many of his own stunts. In 2011, the actor scaled the outside of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa , currently the world’s tallest building, for a scene from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol . For 2015’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , meanwhile, he was attached to the exterior of an Airbus 400 as it took off. Cruise also performed inside a zero-gravity plane for the recent reboot of The Mummy .

Mission: Impossible 6 is set to be released in cinemas in July 2018. The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie , who previously worked with Cruise on Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation and the first instalment in the Jack Reacher series.

• Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

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Does Tom Cruise ever change? Photos of the 'Mission: Impossible 7' star looking ageless

Tom Cruise Goes Running Again in First Look At Mission: Impossible 8

Tom Cruise does what he does best in new footage from the filming of the next Mission: Impossible installment, and fans love it.

• Fans share excitement over Tom Cruise running in London for Mission: Impossible 8 .
• Action-packed scenes feature Cruise sprinting to save the world from rogue AI, captivating audiences globally.
• Mission: Impossible 8 plot remains a mystery, but it will likely continue the story with The Entity and familiar faces.

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise is back to doing what he does best, running, as the actor films scenes for the action sequel Mission: Impossible 8 in London, England. Fans of the actor and the franchise have now taken to Twitter/X to share images, footage, and their thoughts on Cruise’s running, which somehow remains one of the most gripping elements of modern blockbuster moviemaking.

You can check out the visual poetry that is Tom Cruise running below, as well as some thoughts and feelings shared by fans who cannot wait to see him run all over the world once again in Mission: Impossible 8 .

Several images of the actor sprinting either away or towards the latest global threat have also emerged, and offer our first look at the next Mission: Impossible sequel, which was formerly titled Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two before changes were made behind the scenes .

Released in July last year, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning is directed by Christopher McQuarrie from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen. The Mission: Impossible follow-up finds Tom Cruise back as Ethan Hunt, who this time must save the world from a rogue AI known as “The Entity.” You can check out the official synopsis and trailer for Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning below.

“Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.”

What Will Mission: Impossible 8 Be About?

It is currently unknown exactly what Mission: Impossible 8 will be about but, considering that movies 7 and 8 were initially intended to be a two-parter, we can no doubt expect the next movie to carry over some of the plot elements from its predecessor. This likely includes both the AI enemy known as The Entity , and the villainous Gabriel (Esai Morales), a terrorist with ties to Ethan Hunts's past. We can also expect to see the core cast return, including Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, and Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, as well as newcomer Hayley Atwell as Grace.

How the Mission: Impossible Title Change Could Save the Franchise

The rest of the ensemble will reportedly include Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge, Vanessa Kirby as Alanna Mitsopolis, Pom Klementieff as Paris, and Shea Whigham as Jasper Briggs, alongside Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, Janet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, and Lucy Tulugarjuk. Following the apparent fate of Ilsa Faust , it is currently unknown whether Rebecca Ferguson will be involved.

Mission: Impossible 8 is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 23, 2025, by Paramount Pictures.

Tom Cruise's Health May Be The Reason 'Mission: Impossible 8' Has Been Delayed

• The highly-anticipated next Mission: Impossible film has been delayed, possibly due to Tom Cruise's health and history of on-set injuries.
• Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts, including one that led to him fracturing his ankle during filming.
• There are speculations that Tom's personal life, including his reported distancing from the Church of Scientology, may also be contributing to the delay and potentially creating conflicts within his family.

Mission: Impossible fans were disappointed earlier this year when it was revealed the next film in the famous franchise has been delayed and likely won’t release until 2025. Now, more details are emerging about why the highly-anticipated flick has been pushed back, and it appears that Tom Cruise’s health may be a big factor.

It was originally reported that the SAG-AFTRA strike had brought production to a standstill, compelling the studio to reschedule the release date from June 28, 2024, to May 23, 2025.

RELATED: What Are Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman's Adopted Kids Doing Today?

Tom Cruise’s Health Has Delayed Filming Before

But given Cruise’s history of on-set injuries, there may be more to why the next Mission: Impossible film is delayed. The actor is known for performing his own stunts, which has threatened his health numerous times before .

For example, while filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2019 , production was abruptly halted when Tom fractured his ankle while executing a stunt that required him to leap between buildings. Remarkably, he still managed to capture the shot and resumed filming shortly after, despite not having fully recovered.

The film’s director Christopher McQuarrie revealed to Empire in 2017 that the stunt never entailed Tom Cruise successfully completing the jump. But the actor insisted on getting as good a shot as possible, even if it risked his well-being as well as the final release date of the film.

RELATED: Suri Cruise Is 17: Everything We Know About Tom And Katie's Daughter

"He was always supposed to slam into the side of the building. That’s what gives the stunt its energy," McQuarrie said at the time. "On the fourth try, he hit the building at a slightly different angle, and he broke his ankle."

Tom has opened up about the controversial stunt that risked his health and the movie. Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, Cruise explained the reason he continued filming the scene even after injuring himself was because he didn’t want to have to re-do the shoot later on.

Tom’s Personal Life Is Being Questioned As Filming Is Delayed

For now, Cruise hasn’t confirmed if his health had any bearing on the new release date for the upcoming Mission: Impossible film. The ongoing protest has been given as the only reason for the delay. But Tom reportedly has a lot going on in his personal life at the moment, as the actor is reportedly distancing himself from the Church of Scientology .

Despite spending a lot of time in the U.K. in recent years, a report by The Mirror reveals that Tom hasn’t been seen at Scientology headquarters in recent times. Moreover, these claims come after a 2021 report suggested the actor was having a religious crisis after losing faith in Scientology.

If Tom is leaving the church, it could put a rift between him and his oldest children, Isabella and Connor Cruise, whom he shares with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman. Both of their kid are reportedly active members of the Church of Scientology. Isabella event revealed in 2019 that she’d been promoted to the status of an auditor. For now, the Cruise family hasn’t commented on the recent speculation that Tom is leaving the mysterious religion.

This Is the One Tom Cruise Stunt That Failed to Impress

This zero-gravity sequence would have been better without the CGI.

The Big Picture

• The Mummy 's use of CGI in the plane crash sequence undermines the sense of danger and inconsistency of stakes, despite the impressive real stunts performed by the actors.
• Other blockbusters like Mission: Impossible use a combination of practical set pieces and CGI to create a more genuine sense of scale and threat.
• The reliance on CGI effects in The Mummy 's zero-gravity sequence makes it feel safe and fails to capture the same effect as Tom Cruise's stunts in the Mission: Impossible films.

2017’s The Mummy is a mess for a number of reasons. For starters, the supernatural action reboot was supposed to launch the Dark Universe, an interconnected Universal monster movie franchise akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But after the film’s abysmal box office performance, the Dark Universe immediately ended , putting to bed Russell Crowe ’s Jekyll and Hyde, Johnny Depp ’s Invisible Man, Javier Bardem ’s Frankenstein’s Monster, and Angelina Jolie ’s Bride of Frankenstein. The Mummy itself starred Tom Cruise , Annabelle Wallis , and Sofia Boutella as the titular mummy. Directed by Alex Kurtzman , The Mummy sought to infuse the monster movie with Cruise’s signature action stunts from the Mission Impossible movies. However, just from the very first trailer, the film didn’t necessarily look like a modern update from what came before. The preview largely featured the film’s zero gravity sequence, which culminates in Tom Cruise screaming, almost hyperventilating, as an airplane crashes into the ground. While the cast and crew are to be commended for performing the stunt as real as possible, the sequence in the film itself isn’t as daring nor threatening as it is supposed to be.

An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

The CGI Plane in 'The Mummy' Just Isn’t Convincing

While Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, and the rest of the filmmaking crew actually went up in a plane that simulated a zero gravity nosedive , the shots of the crashing plane in the movie are completely CGI. So while the real stunts are happening inside the cabin, the threat of a crash landing is undermined by the less convincing cuts to the plane’s exterior. Overall, the constant cutting back and forth between the real actors going through the struggle of getting a parachute and the plastic-looking CGI plane makes for an inconsistent sense of stakes. But crashing a real plane would be too much of a hassle, right?

What makes other blockbusters have a more genuine sense of scale and threat is the use of technically practical set pieces. For instance, when Tom Cruise performed the HALO jump in Mission: Impossible - Fallout , he was on an actual plane from which he jumped off alongside the crew who filmed the entire sequence. While there is some CGI involved, specifically the thunderstorm that takes place in the middle of Ethan Hunt’s free fall, the sequence doesn’t cut back and forth between the practical stunt and the CGI that accents the scene. There is a seamless continuity that blends both the real-life danger and the added visual effect.

Sorry Tom Cruise, But This Michelle Yeoh Movie Has the Greatest Motorcycle Stunt

Another example comes from yet another Cruise stunt in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation , during which Cruise actually hung onto the side of a plane as it was lifting off the ground and into the air. The difference between these Mission Impossible stunts and the zero-gravity sequence in The Mummy is that the former engages the real-life environment for its sense of danger while the latter minimizes the stakes through a computer-generated environment. Yes, Cruise and Wallis’ real stunt work inside the plane is impressive, but without a more convincing scene of the plane nosediving, they might as well be in a bounce house or an indoor skydiving attraction.

'The Mummy's Zero-G Sequence Ultimately Felt Safe

The best action sequences are the ones that convince audiences about the imminent danger for both the actors and their characters. That has been the driving philosophy behind many of Tom Cruise’s stunts in the Mission Impossible films. However, combining those action movie stunts with the supernatural threat of a centuries-old mummy and her magic cruses just doesn’t capture the same effect, especially when the dependence on CGI effects outweighs the practical. For another example, there is something to be said about Christopher Nolan ’s choice to recreate the Trinity test and other explosions in Oppenheimer without any CGI. Nolan told Collider , “I think computer graphics, they’re very versatile, they can do all kinds of things, but they tend to feel a bit safe.” While the zero-gravity stunt in The Mummy might have been dangerous in real life, the CGI plane, and its crashing debris ultimately made it feel safe.

The Mummy is currently available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Screen Rant

Mission: impossible 7's poor box office proves the secret truth of tom cruise's career.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was a comparative disappointment at the box office, reflecting a larger trend in Tom Cruise's career.

• Tom Cruise's success at the box office is not solely due to his star power. The Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises make up a significant portion of his earnings.
• Despite his status as a movie star, Cruise has experienced his fair share of disappointments and underwhelming films throughout his career.
• Cruise's commitment to unique projects and his willingness to take on physically demanding roles contribute to his appeal as a movie star, beyond just financial success.

The relatively mediocre box office performance of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning surprised some observers, given the popularity of the wider franchise and star Tom Cruise 's status, yet the movie proves a surprising truth about Cruise's career. Since the 1980s, Cruise has been regarded as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. Across multiple genres, his films have consistently maintained his profile and proved popular with audiences. And yet, behind this undeniable success, the reality of Cruise's career is more complicated than it seems.

Thanks to a string of hits, Tom Cruise has secured his status as a movie star for the ages. Iconic blockbusters, such as Top Gun , Days of Thunder , and the Mission: Impossible series established the correlation between Cruise and box office performance. Meanwhile, roles in acclaimed dramas like A Few Good Men , Born on the Fourth of July , and Jerry Maguire demonstrated that Cruise had the acting chops to match his action credentials. This combination understandably cemented the notion that Cruise is a major draw for audiences. The truth, however, is not quite so straightforward.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Proves Tom Cruise Doesn't Guarantee Box Office

Given his status as a movie star, it has long been assumed that Cruise's involvement in a project goes a long way towards guaranteeing box office success. After all, Cruise's movies have made over $11.5 billion at the global box office, making him one of the highest-grossing movie stars of all time. However, these statistics mask a surprising truth about Cruise – that he is not the guarantee of financial return that his status would suggest .

Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Cliffhanger Ending Explained

In fact, Cruise owes much of his success to a relatively small number of projects. The Mission: Impossible series, for instance, has generated over $4 billion across seven entries, while Top Gun has made just short of $1.8 billion in just two movies. These two franchises, despite representing a fraction of Cruise's output, make up approximately half of all his box office generation. Without them in the equation, Cruise's box office would seem significantly less impressive . This in turn suggests that Dead Reckoning 's relatively disappointing $568 million is more representative of his career than hugely successful outliers like Top Gun: Maverick .

Tom Cruise Has Actually Had Loads Of Disappointments

There's no denying that Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise and recent legacy sequel success with Top Gun 2 have made a huge impact on the global box office. However, their outsize effect should not mask the fact that Cruise is just as capable of leading a box office bomb as he is a hit. Over the course of his career, the 61-year-old star has featured in several high-profile failures, such as the 2017 The Mummy . Furthermore, he has also starred in several projects that, rather than outright flopping, massively underwhelmed based on expectations.

Releases such as Oblivion , Edge of Tomorrow , Jack Reacher: Never Go Back , and American Made all failed to make a major impact at the box office, despite Cruise's star billing. In truth, they are arguably more indicative of the actor's average performance than standout projects like Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible – Fallout . All this suggests that, while Cruise's commitment to independent standalone projects is admirable, it should not be a given that the actor's appearance provides any indication as to the eventual success of a movie .

Does Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 Have A Post-Credits Scene?

Why cruise is still a great movie star.

The truth that Tom Cruise has probably had more disappointments than runaway successes seems difficult to square with his status in the industry. However, this fact does not change the fact that Cruise remains an era-defining movie star. In an age dominated by franchises, Cruise stands apart as an advocate for solo projects. Except for the Mission: Impossible series and Top Gun , he has been generally reluctant to appear in sequels. This means that many Cruise releases do not have the security of a guaranteed audience to fall back on – explaining what may initially seem like unremarkable performances.

It's also true that Cruise challenges the notion that financial return is the only thing that defines a star. As his career has developed, Cruise has pushed himself to complete ever more impressive physical feats, securing his status as one of the most daring performers in the industry. It can be tempting for commentators to judge success and failure based on the cold reality of box office numbers. However, even though Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning is more indicative of Cruise's appeal than other projects, his breathtaking stuntwork and performance highlight that other factors are also at play.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning