Is it Time for ‘Mission: Impossible 4′!?

April 30, 2008

Filed under: Action, Casting, Paramount, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Remakes and Sequels

The seas haven’t been smooth for used-to-be-totally-loved shortie Tom Cruise. Lions for Lambs didn’t help his career commercially, and Valkyrie continues to have problems, so of course, thoughts would turn to his popular fluff fare. There have been some rumors about Mission: Impossible 4, and according to Slashfilm, an insider has told Life & Style Magazine: “Tom will make M:I 4 once Paramount greenlights the script. There will most definitely be another Mission: Impossible!”

This could be pure rumor just as much as fact, but I imagine it’s true. There’s only so long Cruise can stay relevant in the tabloids unless he gets back on track professionally, or jumps on some more sofas. But I wonder if it could, or will, be a hit. Excitement has moved to other franchises, and while number three still brought in some cash, it’s gross was under the money pulled in by the first two.

So, the question becomes: What could Paramount do to make this film relevant, other than re-starting the franchise with a new actor? Should this be a story about passing the torch? Is there a way to make people visit the film in larger hordes? Should Tom Cruise give up, or is there a different franchise that might help his career?