Mission: Impossible IV Not Dead & Tom Cruise Is Returning!
Wed, July 14, 2010 
Even despite the under-performance of Knight & Day, I couldn't imagine Paramount handing Mission: Impossible IV the pink-slip as first suggested a few weeks back. Why? Because common sense would dictate the studio already knew what they were getting into by going back into business with Tom Cruise after their (rather ugly) public divorce back in 2006.
More importantly, J.J. Abrams is serving as the producer on this fourth installment and, as everyone is fully aware, he’s their Golden Boy.
Regardless the studio has been reportedly paying close attention to the reception of Cruise's return to the action/spy genre. Yes, the movie is under-performing stateside. But that’s hardly a surprise given the weak marketing (Check out that awful tie dye/sillouhuette one-sheet). It should be pointed out however the drop-offs on Knight & Day have actually been good – suggesting good word-of-mouth.
Even as they're eyeing the overseas numbers, the studio has set the record straight to THR. Tom Cruise will return in M:I 4. That's not to suggest his Ethan Hunt character won't be used in a more supporting/mentor capacity (as originally speculated).
As these aged franchises wane on, recasting (going for younger, unknown and, key word here, cheap) has become studios' best friend. Paramount just saw the benefits of such a move with Abrams' Star Trek and others are headed in that direction with fresh-blood casts for Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman and possibly Jason Bourne.
Reader Comments (1)
You can't make MI 4 without Cruise.