Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation opens this Friday, and while I won’t have my full review up until tomorrow, I’ll say right now that the film is terrific and I definitely want to see the sequel as soon as possible. However, Tom Cruise rarely rushes the films and they usually take 4 - 6 years for each new installment (compare this to other franchises that try to push out a new entry every 2 – 3 years), and there hasn’t been any word yet on Mission: Impossible 6.

But during last night’s The Daily Show, Cruise revealed that they’re currently working on the sixth installment and would like to begin shooting next summer (Cut to the six-minute mark):

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If they stick to that schedule, they could conceivably get the next Mission: Impossible film out as early as 2017 depending on the VFX work and where Paramount wants to slot it in the release schedule. That would make it the fastest turnaround yet on a Mission: Impossible movie yet, and I’m wondering if Cruise’s age might have something to do with it. He’s still in amazing shape and doesn’t look anywhere close to his 53 years, but I assume it gets harder with every passing year to do the kind of stunt work these films require. Of course, he could just get a stunt man like every other actor, but that just wouldn’t be the Tom Cruise way.

Assuming they’re on the fast track to get Mission: Impossible 6 made, the question becomes "Who will direct?" When Perri spoke with Cruise on the red carpet at the Rogue Nation world premiere in Vienna, he said he liked working with a different director on each installment, so does this mean Rogue Nation helmer Christopher McQuarrie won’t be coming back? And if not, who would be his replacement? The only similarity between the five directors thus far is that Mission: Impossible was their first big blockbuster. So will Cruise be taking another director to the next level or will he go with someone a little more experienced to accommodate the quick turnaround? Whomever gets the job, he or she will have a very tough act to follow.

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Image via Paramount Pictures