Cruise signs up for another 'Mission Impossible'
Tom Cruise will star as Ethan Hunt in 'Mission Impossible IV', it has been confirmed.
The Hollywood star and JJ Abrams have been on board to produce the next in instalment of the 'Mission Impossible' franchise for some time, but Paramount has now announced Cruise will star in the movie as well.
Vice chairman Rob Moore told The Hollywood Reporter: "We are absolutely excited about having Tom Cruise star in this movie."
But the studio will also monitor the overseas box-office sales of Tom's latest film, action-comedy 'Knight And Day', to see if the actor is still popular with foreign audiences.
Industry observers believe if that film makes less than $200m (€157.3m) overseas, Paramount will consider recasting the role of Ethan Hunt, The Hollywood Reporter claims. Fox executives are currently predicting a solid performance for 'Knight And Day'.
Abrams and Cruise have been meeting with possible directors for 'Mission Impossible IV', with names linked to the project including animator Brad Bird, 'Zombieland' director Ruben Fleischer and Edgar Wright, whose movie 'Scott Pilgrim Vs The World' is released this summer.
Abrams has revealed they plan to set the movie in all corners of the globe.
He said: "We're working on 'Mission IV' and we have a really cool idea that we're playing with and I'm looking forward to that coming to pass - there definitely will be a European presence but there's a whole crazy story, it's definitely a jet-setting movie."
