Paramount has slated July 23rd, 2021 and August 5th, 2022 as the dates for the upcoming MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as the indomitable secret agent Ethan Hunt, and Christopher McQuarrie returning to write and direct. This will make McQuarrie the longest running M:I director, as he will helm a total of four (so far) entries in the iconic mega blockbuster franchise.
According to Deadline, Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures has this to say about the upcoming commitments: “We couldn’t be more excited to build on the massive success of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT by reteaming with Chris and Tom on these next two films, following two successful collaborations. We’ve also enjoyed a great partnership with Skydance and David Ellison on these three most recent films and look forward to continued success together on this great franchise.”
To say I'm excited about this news would be the understatement of the century. The MISSON: IMPOSSIBLE series is one of my all time favorite franchises, and I am thrilled that McQuarrie is returning to develop two more sequels as he clearly knows just what the audience is looking for with these off-the-beaten-path action entires. As long as Cruise and company keep churning them out, I'll keep showing up at the theater to cheer them on.
Obviously, I'm not alone in my sentiment, as MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE has amassed $3.5 billion worldwide through the span of its six movies. FALLOUT was not only the highest grossing installment in the series, both at the domestic box office ($220.1M) and across the globe ($791.1M), but it also happens to be the best-reviewed film in the franchise, garnering a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Skydance Media will be re-joining Paramount on the franchise, a friendly partnership that continues on into the upcoming TOP GUN sequel, TERMINATOR, and action thriller GEMINI.