We reported last week that JJ Abrams had said he’d been asked to return to produce another Mission: Impossible movie. Well now Variety is reporting that the movie is officially on, with Cruise in the lead and both him and Abrams co-producing.
The film is currently due for a summer 2011 release, although this may slip depending on Cruise’s schedule.
It’s an interesting development as only a couple of years ago Cruise and Paramount owner Sumner Redstone had a very public falling out when Redstone terminated the star’s 14-year working relationship with studio.
With both sides trading barbs at one another after the falling out, it seemed unlilkely Cruise would ever be able or willing to return to the Mission: Impossible franchise again. However as we said last week, it has become the place for him to go to regain his box office crown whenever it looks likes its slipping, so you can understand why Tom might be interested after a string of underperforming movies. It’s also not surprising Paramount wants another Mission: Impossible flick after three very profitable instalments.