In an announcement sure to convince many that nothing is impossible, Paramount are welcoming back JJ Abrams and Tom Cruise to the Mission: Impossible brand, with the pair signed on to produce the sequel.
Cruise, who has starred in all three previous installments of the franchise, was unceremoniously dumped from his 14-year Paramount contract after his couch-based activites on Oprah were thought to have diminished box-office business for M:I 3 back in 2006.
Abrams, who directed the film, recieved widespread acclaim and was given the Star Trek reboot as reward. Cruise, on the other hand, buggered off to take control of United Artists.
No word yet on what roles the pair will play in M:I 4 , as they are just signed on to develop the film. Fans will be eager to see Cruise return to the role of Ethan Hunt, and to see Abrams back in the directors chair, but will have to wait for confirmation.
Paramount are relatively set at the moment, with the rebooted Star Trek franchise getting a strong start in May, and with the Transformers sequel set to smash the box office this weekend, they could milk both series for another few entries, so it's a wonder that they are moving forward with a relatively underperforming series.
So it seems as long as Cruise can steer clear of any talk-show sofas in the run up to release, this film is in relatively safe hands.
Any thoughts on the announcement?
