Mission: Impossible (film series)
Mission: Impossible is a series of American action spy films based on and a follow-on from the created by Bruce Geller. The series is mainly produced by and stars Tom Cruise, whose character is Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The films have been directed, written, and scored from various filmmakers and crew, while incorporating musical themes from the original series by Lalo Schifrin. Beginning in 1996, the films (taking place starting six years after the events of the ) follow the missions of the IMF's main field team under the  leadership of Hunt to stop an enemy force all the while preventing an impending global disaster. The series focuses on Hunt as the lead character as opposed to the ensemble cast structure of the television series, although some characters, such as Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) have recurring roles in the films. The series has received a positive reception from critics and audiences alike, and is the 16th-highest-grossing film series of all time, with a worldwide gross of over $3.5 billion to date, and is often cited as one  of the best action franchises to date. The sixth and most recent film, titled "", was released on July 27, 2018. Two upcoming films, with the titles "" and "", respectively, are scheduled to be released on July 14, 2023 and June 28, 2024. All of the "Mission: Impossible" films are co-produced and released by Paramount Pictures and are rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association. Films. Section::::"Mission: Impossible" (1996). Ethan Hunt is framed for the murder of his IMF team during a botched mission in Prague and accused of selling government secrets to an arms dealer known only as "Max". On  the run, Ethan seeks to uncover the real traitor and clear his name. Section::::"Mission: Impossible 2" (2000). Ethan goes back in action and works with professional thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton). The duo go undercover to stop rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) (who is also Nyah's former lover) from stealing a deadly virus, starting a pandemic, and selling the antidote to the highest bidder. Section::::"Mission: Impossible III" (2006). Ethan is engaged to Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), who is unaware of his true job. He assembles a team to face the elusive arms and information broker Owen  Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who intends to sell a mysterious dangerous object known as "The Rabbit's Foot". Section::::"Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" (2011). Ethan and the entire IMF are blamed for the bombing of the Kremlin while investigating an individual known only as "Cobalt" (Michael Nyqvist). He and three other agents are left to stop him from starting a global nuclear war. Section::::"Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" (2015). Ethan Hunt comes under threat from the Syndicate. Faced with the IMF's disbandment, Hunt assembles his team for their mission to prove the Syndicate's existence and bring the organization down by  any means necessary. Section::::"Mission: Impossible – Fallout" (2018). When an IMF mission to recover plutonium ends badly, the world is faced with the threat of the Apostles, a terrorist organization formed by former members of the Syndicate. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill the original mission, the CIA begins to question his loyalty and his motives. Section::::"Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023). In January 2019, it was announced that both a seventh and an eighth "Mission: Impossible" were in development, with Christopher McQuarrie set to return as both writer and director of both films. Reportedly filmed back -to-back, the seventh film was originally scheduled for release on July 23, 2021, before being delayed to November 19, 2021, May 27, 2022, and September 30, 2022, and July 14, 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2019, McQuarrie announced via his Instagram account that Hayley Atwell had joined the cast for both films, which was later confirmed by the actress. Two months later, the director also revealed the involvement of Pom Klementieff and in late December Shea Whigham was confirmed as a cast member for the two upcoming movies. In January 2020, McQuarrie further announced that Nicholas  Hoult had also joined the cast and Simon Pegg confirmed his return as Benji later the same month. In February 2020, McQuarrie announced that Henry Czerny would reprise his role as Eugene Kittridge from the first film, whilst Vanessa Kirby confirmed her return as Alanna / White Widow. Due to scheduling conflicts, Hoult was replaced by Esai Morales for both films. Similarly, Angela Bassett was originally going to appear in the film, but was later removed from the film due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Section::::"Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two" (2024). An eighth "Mission: Impossible" film was announced to be in  development in January 2019, set to be written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and filmed back-to-back with the . It was scheduled to be released on August 5, 2022, but was later delayed to November 4, 2022, and then to July 7, 2023, then to June 28, 2024, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayley Atwell joined the cast in September 2019, followed by Pom Klementieff and Shea Whigham. In January 2020, Nicholas Hoult and Simon Pegg were also announced to be appearing in the film, but Hoult was later replaced by Esai Morales in both films due to scheduling  conflicts. In February 2020, it was announced that Henry Czerny and Vanessa Kirby would return as Eugene Kittridge and the White Widow, respectively. Reception. Critical and public response. The "Mission Impossible" film series has received generally positive reviews, with the later three being acclaimed. Praise has been directed towards its cinematography, action sequences, stunts, musical score, and acting. Music. Change to theme music. The television version is in a rarely used time (an unusual time signature with five crotchets to a bar) and is difficult to dance to, as was proven by a memorable segment of "American Bandstand" in which  teenage dancers were caught off-guard by Dick Clark's playing of the Lalo Schifrin single release. The opening theme music for the first six films are stylized renditions of Schifrin's original iconic theme, preserving the rhythm, by Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Joe Kraemer and Lorne Balfe, respectively. Most of the versions included in the score also retained the time signature. However, for Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr.'s version featured on the first film's motion picture soundtrack, the time signature was changed to standard pop time to make it more dance-friendly, although the  intro is still in time. The Limp Bizkit song "Take a Look Around" from the soundtrack to the second film was set to a similar modification of the theme, with an interlude in .