Mission: Impossible 8 is scheduled to hit theaters in May. However, Tom Cruise and Paramount are said to disagree on how to promote the next installment in the franchise.
Mission: Impossible 8 has had a tumultuous journey to the silver screen. The 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes result in production delays that have caused Mission: Impossible 8’s budget to reported nearly $400 million.
Furthermore, Mission: Impossible 8 will no longer be subtitled Dead Reckoning Part Two after Part One underperformed at the box office, which was partly attributed to the Barbenheimer phenomena that dominated theaters in the summer of 2023. The new Mission: Impossible 8 title will be revealed when the first trailer drops soon, but Cruise is against how Paramount wants to market Ethan Hunt’s next adventure.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Paramount wants to boost audience interest in Mission: Impossible 8 by promoting it as the “final” entry in the movie franchise. However, Cruise is reported against “saying a public goodbye to Ethan Hunt.” Regardless of how they decide to promote Mission: Impossible 8, THR says Paramount is optimistic about the film and wants to bring it to the Cannes Film Festival.
Recently, movies like the poorly-reviewed Indiana Jones 5 arguably had their reputations tarnished months before they were officially released by premiering at Cannes to underwhelming responses. However, a studio insider told THR: “I think Tom’s in a good place. And I think Mission is going to be really good.”
It is unsurprisingly to read that Cruise is reluctant to retire from the Mission: Impossible franchise. Last year, Cruise said he wanted to keep making Mission: Impossible films until he’s the same age Harrison Ford was in Indiana Jones 5.
Director Christopher McQuarrie, who helmed 4 of the 8 films, said the Mission: Impossible franchise will end when fans are no longer entertained. So, if they still feel this way, Cruise and McQuarrie have no interest in bidding farewell to the franchise, despite what Paramount may have in mind.
Of course, there’s something to be said about ending a franchise on a high note. The recent Mission: Impossible films have all been critically acclaimed. Choosing to continue could lead to diminishing results. Cruise’s comparison to Ford’s Indiana Jones franchise may be apt. Indiana Jones 5 was rejected by audiences and cost Disney $130 million after bombing at the box office.
While Ford is still recognized in the role and the film’s failure can’t be attributed to his performance, Indy doesn’t pack the same punch as he used to. Many fans feel the franchise should have ended with The Last Crusade, as Steven Spielberg initially intended. Perhaps Cruise and Paramount should take a lesson from Dr. Jones and ended up on the highest note possible. Mission: Impossible 8 is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 23, 2025.