Will Tom Cruise choose to accept his mission — again?
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which premiered Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival, is believed by many to be the last chapter of the eight-film, 29-year-old franchise.
There’s closure in the title, its 62-year-old star isn’t getting any younger, the plot nostalgically throws back to the first 1996 Brian De Palma movie and director Christopher McQuarrie told Empire in February, “It is, I hope, the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc.”
Cruise has added a new layer to the mystery. After “Final Reckoning” debuted at the Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes, the leading man addressed McQuarrie.
“It went beyond our expectations,” Cruise said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s been a real privilege and a pleasure. I look forward to making a bunch of other kinds of movies with you. I can’t wait.”
Other kinds of movies?
Outside of co-writing “Top Gun: Maverick,” as a director McQuarrie has only worked on “Mission: Impossible” films — “Fallout,” “Dead Reckoning” and “The Final Reckoning” — over the past seven years.
The same is true of Cruise. To make “other kinds of movies” would likely require both men to step aside from the demanding and expensive Paramount action franchise.
Of course, the pair could be humming a different tune if the box office goes their way. But that could be tougher than death-defyingly hanging from a biplane thousands of feet in the air.
Despite very good reviews, “Dead Reckoning” underperformed in 2023, grossing just $571 million off a reported $291 million budget.
“The Final Reckoning,” which The Post gave 3 ½ stars, is even more costly. The Puck newsletter reported that the budget for No. 8 is about $400 million. Other estimates put it between $300 to $400 million.
That means to break even, the film — which also stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames — would need to gross between $800 million and $1 billion. Those are numbers no “M:I” film has ever been able to achieve.
If this is, indeed, IMF agent Ethan Hunt’s final reckoning, Cruise seems content with that.
“We just want to thank you all,” he said in Cannes. “Thank you so much for everything, for allowing us to entertain you. It’s very special.”
