Simon Pegg in Talks to Return for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE IV

Simon Pegg is in negotiations to reprise his role as IMF Laboratory Technician Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible IV.  THR notes that while the film, which stars Tom Cruise as super spy Ethan Hunt, doesn’t have an official greenlight from Paramount, director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) has been reading actors this week.  Were Pegg to return, he would be the only actor in the franchise to return for a sequel other than Ving Rhames (no word yet if Rhames will return for the fourth installment).  J.J. Abrams, who directed Mission: Impossible III, will serve as a producer this time around.  He also worked on the story with screenwriters Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum.

If Pegg signs on, this will be his third film with Abrams after M:I-III and Star Trek.  Pegg will be at Comic-Con this week promoting his upcoming sci-fi comedy Paul, which co-stars Nick Frost (who also wrote the script with Pegg) and centers on two geeks on a road trip who attempt to help an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) return to his mothership.