In news that should surprise no one, Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise have just about locked in their latest deal, one that would see the Oscar-nominated action star return for Mission: Impossible 6. That's good news for all involved considering that the five films so far have earned nearly $1 billion domestically and have averaged over half-a-billion dollars each at the worldwide box office. And while that sounds like an easy deal to make considering that Cruise has led the franchise since its big-screen debut in 1996, there were some complications earlier this summer.
As THR reports, Cruise and the studio are nearing an official close to their deal that would continue to bring the most famous countdowns in cinematic history to the big screen. Though the sixth installment, which has Christopher McQuarrie returning from his Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation duties as screenwriter and director, was originally planned for a January 2017 start to production. Instead, co-financier Paramount decided to put a hold on things while hashing out details over such things as backend profit participation. But now that seems to be all cleared up, so McQuarrie, Cruise, and crew can get back to business as usual. Look for production to start next spring.
Cruise, meanwhile, is as busy as ever. He next stars in the more down-to-Earth action sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which opens October 21st. Then, he'll lead The Mummy reboot on June 9, 2017, and American Made on September 29, 2017. He also has a trio of undated pictures in the pipeline, including Top Gun 2, Luna Park, and now the aforementioned M:I6.
For more on Mission: Impossible, take a look at some of our most recent write-ups below:
- The 27 Best Action Movies of the 90s
- The Best Spy Movies of the 21st Century So Far
- ‘Mission: Impossible’ 20 Years Later: How An Uneasy Spy Thriller Became a Blockbuster Franchise
- Every Tom Cruise Movie Ranked from Worst to Best
- How ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ Perfected The Action Sequel Format