‘Street Fighter’ opens in theaters on October 16th.
Preview
Paramount Pictures made its presentation to the 2026 CinemaCon crowd.
Among the movies promoted were ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Scary Movie’.
There was also a look at a new ‘Christmas Carol’ adaptation.
Given the tumultuous behind-the-scenes business activity of first the Skydance/Paramount acquisition and now the combined studios’ ongoing mission to buy Warner Bros., it’s fair to wonder how much of that will be referenced at the company’s 2026 CinemaCon presentation.
But as is more likely, we’re expecting a focus on movies including the new ‘Scary Movie’ entry and a fresh take on the ‘Street Fighter’ video game.
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Unlike some of its competition, Paramount doesn’t have many of its big hitter franchises with ready entries, though we’ll likely get something from the early 2027 arrival of the fourth ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ movie.
Following a looong sizzle reel (narrated by Tom Cruise and ending with him chilling out on the lot’s iconic water tower), freshly minted Paramount/Skydance boss David Ellison took the stage to enthuse about storytelling and –– cross it off your bingo card! –– further confirm that a merged Paramount and Warner Bros. would commit to 30 movies a year theatrically, with healthy 45-day release windows.
There was also a lot of chat about the IP-based movies they’re developing –– expect more ‘Star Trek’, ‘Transformers’, ‘World War Z’ and ‘Top Gun’, plus a ‘Call of Duty’ movie. Oh, and following the success of the first film via Neon, the studio is the new home of the ‘Longlegs’ franchise. And we also learned that classic antagonists Shredder and Kang will show up in the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ sequel, due in 2027.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4’ opens in theaters on March 19, 2027.
There wasn’t much on the fourth ‘Sonic’ beyond a quick video from the set that confirms Jim Carrey will be back. There was also a mention of Kristen Bell, who voices Amy Rose.
Billie Eliish in ‘Billie Eliish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)’. Photo: Henry Hwu and Paramount Pictures.
Eilish and director James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) took the stage to showcase the tour movie (Live in 3D in case you forgot), with Cameron talking up how they developed new 3D tech to make the film –– and make it look amazing. He calls it a “VIP experience”.
The audience were given 3D glasses to watch some new footage from the tour movie.
Marlon Wayans plays Shorty in ‘Scary Movie’ from Paramount Pictures.
Next to take the stage was the ‘Scary Movie’ cast (well, Marlon and Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris) discuss the new reboot (or sixth film) in the horror spoof series. “Nobody is safe” seems to be the mantra here, and the Wayans introduced some fresh footage from the movie.
(L to R) Anna Faris plays Cindy and Regina Hall plays Brenda in ‘Scary Movie’ from Paramount Pictures.
That “nobody is safe” also applies to the genre titles this one takes pot shots at, including ‘Sinners’, ‘M3GAN’ and more.
2002’s ‘Jackass: The Movie’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The new –– and final? –– ‘Jackass’ saw main man Johnny Knoxville trying to convince us all that it really is the last one. Guessing they’re all getting a little too old for the crazy stunts.
Jason Momoa in ‘Street Fighter’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The cast for the latest attempt to kick off a franchise based on the classic video game title arrived on stage to discuss it. Wrestler-turned-actor Cody Rhodes showed up dressed in costume as Guile.
They introduced the first trailer for the movie, which you can see above.
David Corenswet as “John Tuggle” in ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ from Paramount Pictures.
The new movie from Jonathan Levine stars ‘Superman’s David Corenswet and focuses on the enduring impact John Tuggle had on his team and teammates after being drafted by the New York Giants.
Corenswet appeared via video to introduce the film, talking about how he was inspired by Tuggle’s story but was also conflicted as an Eagles fan playing a Giants icon.
David Corenswet as “John Tuggle” in ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ from Paramount Pictures.
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The new David Ayer movie features Brad Pitt as a former Navy SEAL and his retired combat dog who attempt to return to civilization after a catastrophic accident deep in the Alaskan wilderness.
The new movie from Ti West (who has been better known for more brutal horror in the past) features Johnny Depp as Scrooge. Some footage was screened. Unsurprisingly, it’s leaning into the scarier elements of the story. Happy Christmas?
Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s new film adaptsTomi Adeyemi‘s novel, featuring a woman blessed with magical powers by the gods and living in a place where you are forbidden to use them, teams up with a princess to summon the gods and bring down the oppressive regime.
The footage shows Viola Davis‘ Mama Agba and her allies smacking around some tax collectors. The film is a story about the struggle to bring back magic in a kingdom where magic users are routinely executed. The magic users have Targaryen-like white hair. We see one magician summon a tree fighter to battle enemy warriors. The movie looks unique.
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Noticeably absent? ‘Avatar: Ang, The Last Airbender’, which Paramount originally planned for theaters and then decided to shove to its streaming service. But the biggest news? It recently leaked online….
And with that, Paramount is done!
‘Street Fighter’ opens in theaters on October 16th.
Tom Cruise for ‘Digger’ at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
Preview:
Warner Bros. has made its big presentation to the 2026 CinemaCon crowd.
Among the movies touted were ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Dune: Part III’
The likes of Tom Cruise and James Gunn showed up to lobby exhibitors.
After a hugely successful 2026 in terms of both box office and awards, Warner Bros. arrives at CinemaCon with a bigger story looming over its head –– the future. With the Paramount merger inching closer, there will of course be questions about the new regime’s plans, even as the likes of David Ellison maintain that the studio’s output will be boosted.
Host Patton Oswalt at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
With Patton Oswalt as the host (who joked that he wanted to join the DC Universe), this is what was presented…
Before any of the big announcements, we got word from Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy that the studio is launching a new label called Warner Clockwork, whose first production is ‘Anora’ director Sean Baker‘s next project, ‘Te Amo!’.
A sizzle reel celebrating last year’s accomplishments was followed by an even more exciting one for 2027, including some big casting news dropped for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’…
We’ve been waiting for you, precious. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum only in theaters 17 December 2027. pic.twitter.com/FuD8Bh8cpl
(L to R) Tom Cruise and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu for ‘Digger’ at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu kick off the 2026 portion of the show with their collaboration, ‘Digger’. Cruise heaped praise on his director, with the filmmaker explaining that he got the idea for the new movie nine years ago and started discussing it with the actor seven years ago. Cruise, according to him was the only choice.
The movie tells of most powerful man in the world as he embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.
(L to R) Ewan McGregor as Greg Platt, Christian Convery as Brian Platt, Maisy Stella as Audrey Platt and Anne Hathaway as Denise Platt in in ‘The End of Oak Street’, a Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
It features the Platt family, who band together to navigate their new surroundings after a cosmic event transports their suburban neighborhood to someplace unknown. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor lead the cast, but the presentation was mostly an extended trailer.
The New Line segment was kicked off with the next ‘Evil Dead’ movie, this one directed by Sébastien Vanicek, but again it was largely limited to some early footage, which featured some familiar ideas, including the Book of the Dead.
A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
The audience were all supplied with Thing wigs, trumpeting the arrival of a trailer for the new animated take on the Dr. Seuss classic. This one features Bill Hader as the voice of the cat.
Next up was DC Studios, with producer and co-CEO Peter Safran on stage to introduce it (director and co-chief James Gunn is a little busy, as production on the ‘Superman’ follow-up ‘Man of Tomorrow’ starts next week.
The first project to cover was ‘Clayface’, about the Batman antagonist, which Safran described as more focused on character than genre. He showed off the first footage from the movie.
(L to R) Jason Momoa, director Craig Gillespie, Milly Alcock, and producer Peter Safran for ‘Supergirl’ at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
While we have to wait until October for ‘Clayface’, the next DC Studios film out of the gate is ‘Supergirl’, starring Milly Alcock as Superman’s wilder cousin. She, director Craig Gillespie and co-star Jason Momoa (playing outer space vigilante Lobo) took the stage to talk up the film –– Momoa on a motorcycle! A new scene from the movie was screened.
(L to R) Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock for ‘Practical Magic 2’ at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock showed up to tout the witchy sequel, mentioning their shared appreciation for director Susanne Bier and how the production rebuilt the original movie’s house. What can we expect? “Midnight margaritas, jumping off the roof, and also have our past catching up with us,” according to Kidman. “We have our destinies, and the family. I think it’s going to be really, really fun.”
After some talk about how the characters are inspiring, the first teaser trailer was shown.
Timothée Chalamet for ‘Dune: Part Three’ at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
The big finish was, somewhat naturally, the new ‘Dune’, with director Denis Villeneuve taking the stage accompanied by Fremen warriors. Villeneuve said he made the movie “1,000%” for the fans, and the audience was treated to the first seven minutes of the movie.
Accompanied by the likes of Zendaya, Momoa and notorious opera-disliker Timothée Chalamet, Villeneuve showed off a battle scene that promises some suitably epic action.
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And that’s all, folks!
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Jason Momoa at CinemaCon 2026. Photo Credit: David Jon @davidjonphotography.
(L to R) Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in ‘The Mummy.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
A new entry in ‘The Mummy’ franchise is in development.
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are in talks to return to their roles.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct for Universal.
Back in 1999, Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz delivered a great on-screen partnership as dashing, roguish hero Rick O’Connell and practical English Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan for ‘The Mummy.’
Fraser returned for two sequels and Weisz for one (more on that below), but since then, fans have wanted to know if they might both be back, given their winning chemistry.
Things went dormant after that (aside from an ill-fated attempt to launch a Classic Monsters Cinematic Universe with the Tom Cruisereboot in 2017, and more recent reports of ‘Evil Dead Rise’s Lee Cronin developing a new take), but the signs and portents are pointing to a return for the original duo.
As for the new movie, it’ll have a script from David Coggeshall (‘The Family Plan’) and while details are mostly being kept in a sarcophagus, the Reporter’s sources are suggesting that it’ll be a sequel that wipes away the events of ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.’ Okay by us!
Where else can we see Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz?
(L to R) Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in ‘The Mummy.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Fraser won an Oscar for 2022’s ‘The Whale’ and will next be seen in heartwarming drama ‘Rental Family,’ which lands in theaters on November 21.
Tom Cruise is among those to receive an Honorary Oscar this year.
Dolly Parton will be given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
The recipients will be honored at the 16th Annual Governor’s Awards.
While you can imagine that Tom Cruise might have won an Oscar for Services to Hanging Off of Planes and Other Things, the star of ‘Mission: Impossible –– The Final Reckoning’ (and, you know a fairly extensive career before that) has been nominated four times, but has never actually won.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now filling that gap on his Hollywood resume, awarding him an honorary Academy Award. And he’s not alone; Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas are also getting Honorary Oscars, while Dolly Parton will be given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Here’s Academy president Janet Yang’s statement on the new honorees:
“This year’s Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact. The Academy’s board of governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists. Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise’s incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all. Beloved performer Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”
Dolly Parton surely needs little introduction –– she’s been a music legend for years, has appeared in the likes of movies such as ‘Nine to Five’ (and contributed the iconic song for it), but has also become known for her incredible philanthropic efforts, as well as being a producer on a raft of projects (including the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ movie). She’s also a huge proponent of childhood literacy and education.
Debbie Allen, 75, is a trailblazing artist, but also a champion of arts education — on screen (her most famous role is dance teacher Lydia Grant in 1980 movie ‘Fame’ and its television adaptation that ran from 1982 through 1987, which she also choreographed) –– and off through her Debbie Allen Dance Academy in LA and other activities. She also acted in 1981’s ‘Ragtime’, produced 1997’s ‘Amistad’ with Steven Spielberg; and choreographed 2024’s ‘The Six Triple Eight.’
Wynn Thomas, who got his start in the New York theater, is a revered production designer who is best known for his extensive collaboration with Spike Lee, which encompasses 11 films over 35 years, spanning Lee’s movie directorial debut, 1986’s ‘She’s Gotta Have It’, through 2020’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’. He’s also worked with a host of other big-name directors.
When will the Academy hand out these awards?
Cruise and co. will be picking up their awards at the 16th annual Governors Awards, which will be a black-tie ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 16th.
Will TC be leaping in from a helicopter flying above the theater? Let’s find out!
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
The new ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is a roaring success so far.
Dean DeBlois’ film has earned more than $197 million globally.
Disney’s own live-action conversion of ‘Lilo & Stitch’ fell to second place.
Looks like audiences were very ready to visit the island of Berk again.
Or perhaps the term should truly be re-visit, since the new ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ a live-action re-imagining of the 2010 animated adventure, is essentially that movie told over again.
Still, audiences embraced it to the tune of $83 million at the domestic box office.
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The new movie, written and directed by Dean DeBlois (who co-wrote and directed the animated original before taking on its two follow-ups), has been a big success for DreamWorks and Universal, which dipped a toe (a claw, perhaps?) into the animated-to-live-action conversion following years of Disney doing the same.
How did the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ live-action movie do elsewhere at the box office?
(from left) Hiccup (Mason Thames) and Astrid (Nico Parker) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ wasn’t just successful here.
It collected $114 million while landing in 81 overseas markets, ranking as the No. 1 movie at the international box office, and $197.8 million globally. Top territories include Mexico with $14 million, the UK and Ireland with $11.2 million and China with $11.2 million.
Here’s Universal’s domestic distribution chief Jim Orr on the success of the movie:
“Our filmmaker Dean DeBlois created an incredible tale with heart, action and emotion. Multiple generations are in love with it. With our audience scores, I can only believe we are going to have a long run throughout the summer.”
And this was ComScore analyst Paul Dergarabedian on one reason for it:
“PG has become the goldilocks of ratings, one that indicates a film is appropriate for kids but still has enough edge to appeal to young adults, teens and more mature moviegoers. This is certainly a trend that should carry over to ‘Elio,’‘Smurfs’ and ‘The Bad Guys 2,’ which are yet to come on the summer movie slate.”
It’s a success story, since the movie cost $150 million to make and an additional $100 million to market, but assuming it has legs at the box office, it’ll easily make some profit.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
This weekend’s new arrival deposed the previous box office champ, Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’, another example of a movie that was re-imagined in live-action from an animated original.
In a distant second place, the other remake has collected $15.5 million in its fourth weekend of release.
The company won’t be too worried, though, as the movie is already a blockbuster with $366 million domestically and $858 million globally. It’s on track to be the year’s first billion dollar release.
The weekend’s other major wide release, A24’s ‘Materialists,’ launched at No. 3 with a promising $12 million from 2,844 venues.
Though it was met with a mixed audience reception, the film launched above projections that had been sitting around $8 million to $10 million.
Directed by Celine Song in her follow-up to the Oscar-nominated ‘Past Lives,’ the movie follows a New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) who finds herself in a love triangle with a wealthy suitor (Pedro Pascal) and an imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
A24 spent $20 million on the film, not including marketing fees.
(L to R) Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal in ‘Materialists’. Credit: Atsushi Nishijima.
The eighth entry in the Tom Cruise-starring action franchise has amassed $166.3 million in North America and $506 million worldwide to date.
Against its massive $400 million budget (partly the impact of covid and other delays), though, ‘The Final Reckoning’ doesn’t have the strength to climb out of the red in its initial theatrical run.
The film earned $9.4 million from 3,409 theaters in its second weekend of release, a 62% decline from its debut. So far, the movie has generated $41.8 million domestically and $91.5 million globally, hardly punching above its weight for the franchise.
What’s the future for the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ live-action franchise?
Even before this movie was released, DreamWorks and Universal were clearly enthused, as a sequel has already been ordered, with a date set for June 11th, 2027.
Given the response to this one, it certainly looks like cinemagoers will be back for it.
Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Other Movies Similar to ‘How to Train Your Dragon:’
The (possibly) final chapter of his ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘, opens in theaters on May 23rd and in honor of the new release, Moviefone is counting down the 35 best movies of Tom Cruise’s career, including his latest!
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown in ‘Cocktail’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
After being discharged from the Army, Brian Flanagan (Cruise) moves back to Queens and takes a job in a bar run by Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown), who teaches Brian the fine art of bar-tending. Brian quickly becomes a patron favorite with his flashy drink-mixing style, and Brian adopts his mentor’s cynical philosophy on life and goes for the money.
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler. When events unfold so that he becomes a central player, he finds himself tasked with both leading the coup and personally killing the Führer.
Military cadets (Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Cruise) take extreme measures to ensure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.
Nathan Algren (Cruise) is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai’s way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
Tom Cruise in ‘Vanilla Sky.’ Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
David Aames (Cruise) has it all: wealth, good looks and gorgeous women on his arm. But just as he begins falling for the warmhearted Sofia (Penélope Cruz), his face is horribly disfigured in a car accident. That’s just the beginning of his troubles as the lines between illusion and reality, between life and death, are blurred.
When two poor Greasers, Johnny (Ralph Macchio) and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell), are assaulted by a vicious gang, the Socs, and Johnny kills one of the attackers, tension begins to mount between the two rival gangs, setting off a turbulent chain of events.
A young man (Cruise) leaves Ireland with his landlord’s daughter (Nicole Kidman) after some trouble with her father (Robert Prosky), and they dream of owning land at the big giveaway in Oklahoma ca. 1893. When they get to the new land, they find jobs and begin saving money. The man becomes a local barehands boxer, and rides in glory until he is beaten, then his employers steal all the couple’s money and they must fight off starvation in the winter, and try to keep their dream of owning land alive. Meanwhile, the woman’s parents find out where she has gone and have come to America to find her and take her back.
A fugitive (Cruise and Cameron Diaz) couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the IMF team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity — which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe — with the world’s governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan’s past on their trail. Joined by new allies and armed with the means to shut the Entity down for good, Hunt is in a race against time to prevent the world as we know it from changing forever.
Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger (Olga Kurylenko) from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
After Dr. Bill Harford’s wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill (Cruise) becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings — and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.
Former pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria (Cruise) and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent’s showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.
When Ethan Hunt (Cruise), the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
Tom Cruise in ‘Jack Reacher.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher (Cruise) against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
Retired from active duty to train new IMF agents, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is called back into action to confront sadistic arms dealer, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Hunt must try to protect his girlfriend while working with his new team to complete the mission.
Mitch McDeere (Cruise) is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by ‘The Firm’ and made an offer he doesn’t refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice – work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan…
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
The biography of Ron Kovic (Cruise). Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle (Cruise) gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall) turns heads on the track. The young hotshot develops a rivalry with a fellow racer (Michael Rooker) that threatens his career when the two smash their cars. But with the help of his doctor (Nicole Kidman), Cole just might overcome his injuries– and his fear.
Ethan (Cruise) and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating ‘The Syndicate’, an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.
Meet Joel Goodson (Cruise), an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
When car dealer Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has a savant older brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and that his father’s $3 million fortune is being left to the mental institution in which Raymond lives. Motivated by his father’s money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility in order to return with him to Los Angeles. The brothers’ cross-country trip ends up changing both their lives.
Jerry Maguire (Cruise) used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he’s really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an egomaniacal football player.
Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a man (Cruise) who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in ‘Tropic Thunder,’ an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the most expensive war film. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys.
Tom Cruise in ‘Minority Report.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
John Anderton (Cruise) is a top ‘Precrime’ cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they’re committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator (Colin Farrell) targets him for a murder charge.
Major Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again… and again – as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt (Cruise) takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.
When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson).
Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
Also returning to the franchise is actor Rolf Saxon (‘Saving Private Ryan’), who played William Donloe in 1996’s ‘Mission: Impossible’. He was the CIA analyst that Ethan Hunt (Cruise) stole the NOC list from in that famous scene from the first movie.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Rolf Saxon about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. The actor discussed returning to the franchise, his character’s pivotal role in the story, how the script changed on set, creating his backstory, reuniting with Tom Cruise, how he was cast in the original, what it was like appearing in that film’s iconic scene, his admiration for the legacy of the franchise and Cruise’s stunt work, and what it means to him to be part of one of the most popular franchises in cinematic history.
Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Russell Baer.
Moviefone: To begin with, how did you find out that you would be returning for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ and were you surprised to get a call 30 years after filming the first movie?
Rolf Saxon: Honestly, I thought it was a joke. I thought a friend of mine in Scotland was winding me up. Suddenly, I get an email to meet Christopher McQuarrie, and I see the address and I think, “Oh, that’s good, man. I’m going to owe you big time on this one, dude.” So, I’m in a t-shirt with a glass of wine and McQuarrie comes up and it’s like, “What? Wait, what?” I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it. It was insane. He offered me the job within about three minutes, and he spent the next hour telling me what he thought. I couldn’t even joke about, “Oh, let me think about it, Chris. I might do this. I might not.” I just went for it. I thought it was a joke, and it wasn’t. So, I’m still having difficulty with this. No kidding. I had two lines, maybe three minutes on screen in the first movie and suddenly I’m doing this. Unbelievable.
MF: When it was announced that you would be returning, many thought it would be just a cameo, but your character plays a pivotal role in the story of the film. Was it always designed to be like that or did your part grow through production?
RS: Two things. One, Chris works in a very improvisational way. When I first came on board, it was a very different concept. Not hugely, I mean, it was still the same thing, but the way I was introduced was one way when we started filming, and then they decided to change an integral part of the story structure. So, that had to be readjusted. With that came a further readjustment. I was put in act three of the film. Again, this job has been like that for me. It’s like, “Wait, what? Seriously are you winding me up now? Is this a joke?” With Chris, I realized very soon, he doesn’t joke about stuff like that ever. Never. So, when he says something like that, it’s like, “This is wonderful.” I mean, I don’t know what his original concept of it was, to be honest with you. There was no script that I could read. It was just what he was telling me. That’s what I was going on. Then, as I said, we started filming it, and then we changed it. He then said, “We’re going to do something here and there, and we’re going to do this now.”
(L to R) Greg Tarzan Davis, Christopher McQuarrie, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Simon Pegg, Rolf Saxon, Pom Klementieff and Hayley Atwell on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
MF: A lot of time has passed since the last time we saw your character, and some of that is explained in the movie but did you create a backstory for yourself so you would understand how he got to this point in his life?
RS: Christopher was clear on what he wanted. As an actor, when one gets that kind of direction, it’s up to us to sort through that. Because of this, the energy and the positivity that’s around that just permeated that set. When someone said something like that, instead of like, “How am I going to do this?” It’s like, “Okay, this is cool. This is great.” It’s much more proactive. You’re not on the back foot so much, you’re on the front foot. I love that and that wasn’t a fluke that from day one to the last day for me was like that. So yeah, we worked, Chris and I talked a lot about what it was going to be, and then Lucy (Tulugarjuk) came on board. When she came on board, we did some more chatting about it. Then it was just a matter of making it work with what he was presenting us.
MF: You had only one scene with both Henry Czerny and Tom Cruise in the first movie, but you didn’t have any speaking lines in those scenes. What was it like to reunite with both of those actors on this movie and get to act opposite them this time around?
RS: Yeah, it was great. I mean, to get to act with Tom Cruise, again, it sounds a little bit fan-like, but it was brilliant, man. I mean, it was great. He brings, again, an energy and a positive focus that, there’s only one Tom Cruise. That’s it. There’s a reason for that. I got to experience it, which was wonderful. Henry, I met on set, but before we started working together, and it’s the first time I’d seen him in 30 years, I walked up to him and I said, “Hey, listen, I just want to say, no hard feelings.” He looked at me, and then he just started laughing. He’s got a great sense of humor. We’ve been tight since then. I mean, we get on very well. He’s a lot of fun.
(L to R) Hayley Atwell plays Grace, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn, Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe, Lucy Tulugarjuk plays Tapeesa, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas and Pom Klementieff plays Paris in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
MF: Can you talk about the first time you saw Tom Cruise again after all these years? Did he thank you for returning to the franchise?
RS: The first day I was brought on set just outside of London, to the studio. I was brought on just to see the set because there were two sound stages they were using. One of them was for a tunnel sequence that they had rebuilt where Luther (Ving Rhames) was working in that room. I was brought on to see it, meet a couple of heads of department and stuff. I came in around this corner and through this room, and there was Tom, the heads of department, and Christopher McQuarrie. I got this big round of applause, and Tom came up and hugged me. Simon Pegg was also there, who I’ve known for many years ago. I was made to feel so welcome immediately on the set. Tom just said, “Anything you need, let me know.” He’s not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. He’s not that kind of Californian thing, but boy, he’s a hundred percent there.
MF: Can you talk about how you were cast in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’? Did you audition for director Brian De Palma?
RS: I was doing a David Mamet play, a tour. We’d done a theater, and it was very successful. So, we went on tour with it. I got a phone call from my agent saying they want to set up an audition for this movie. Tom Cruise is going to do ‘Mission: Impossible’. I said, “Like the TV series? This is going to be interesting.” So, I took a three-hour train ride and met them at Pinewood Studios. Brian (De Palma) was working at the time, so there was a little bit of a delay, and I had to be back for the curtain that night. So, I went in, I was there with him for about three minutes, and that was it. As I walked out, I turned to the casting director, and I said, “Well, that was a waste of time.” She said, “No, you were in there longer than anybody else. I think he really liked you.” I thought, “Yeah, right. Thanks. Appreciate it.” So, I got on the train back three hours just in time for the half hour call, and I got a message saying, “Phone your agent.” And I thought, “Oh, that’s cool. Okay.” So, I did the show. The next morning, I called my agent and he said, “Yeah, they’ve offered you the job. They want you to do it.” I said, “You’re kidding.” I was doing another film, a much better part, but they said they were going to work around it. So, I thought, “Okay, cool.” Of course, that film has completely disappeared. It’s funny how things work. That’s how I got that one. Again, this job has been like that from the get-go. A constant series of surprises, and very pleasant ones.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Rolf Saxon in ‘Mission: Impossible’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
MF: The scene from the first film where Ethan Hunt is stealing the NOC list and Tom Cruise is hanging from the ceiling above you has become one of the most popular scenes in cinematic history. How has it felt over the years to know you were part of such an iconic movie moment?
RS: Well, I’ll be honest with you, Jami. I had no idea of this. I mean, I saw myself in the movie, I’m critical of things I do. So, some of it I like, some of it I didn’t like. I’ve seen it, and all my friends and family say, “Oh, you’re brilliant.” They’re your friends and your family, what are they going to say, you stink? No. So, McQuarrie said what you’re saying, and I thought he was blowing smoke. When I came to London, I was in a hotel. I met a guy, I didn’t know him, but I could tell he was American. So, I said, “Hey, how are you doing?” We chatted for 30 seconds on an elevator ride, and then I didn’t see him again for a couple of days. The next time I saw him was on the set for ‘Mission: Impossible’. It was Greg Tarzan Davis. He looked at me and pointed and said, “Oh, my gosh, you are William Donloe.” Christopher was standing behind him. I thought, again, between the two of them, they’d worked this out. Tarzan said, “No, man. I suddenly realized you’re the guy.” He said, “You looked a little familiar. But I thought, it was just me.” He said, “That is a great scene. Everybody knows it.” To be honest with you, I still find that difficult to believe, the fact that I’m in it. It’s more to do with what Tom’s doing and the film, I’m in the background of it. So, while I am part of it, it’s a tiny little part. I’m ecstatic about it. Don’t get me wrong. I love being a part of it. It brought me back. So yeah, I’m very happy.
MF: What is your opinion of the direction the series has gone in since the first film, and Tom Cruise’s incredible dedication to the stunt work?
RS: I’ll be honest, this is not my genre of film. I’ve watched every single one of them. I watched the second one because I was in the first one. But it became very much, “I love these.” I love these films. They’re great fun. This is not my normal genre, what I normally watch. So, that says for me how good they are. I’m not someone who gravitates to this kind of thing, and I love them. I watch them as soon as they come out. What I think of the franchise, it’s grown and grown. I mean, when we did the first one, it was a gamble. Tom was taking a big chance, and it paid off. That’s before he was the Tom Cruise he is now. That could have failed. So, because of him and his guiding, and especially when Chris came on, I think the last four films, they’ve got a working relationship that just gets bigger and bigger. Technology has improved. They do amazing things with technology, except the stunts. There’s no technology there. There’s none. That’s all him. That, I think, is one of the major selling points of the film. You’re seeing a human being doing everything that he does. I mean, I wouldn’t train to do those stunts. No way. I have friends who are stunt performers, and one of them who is American guy, he’s been doing it for a long time, and he said he’s never met any stunt person who has a sense of physical space the way Tom Cruise does. He doesn’t get excited, or nervous. He gets problem-solving. He said, “I’ve never seen anybody do anything the way he’s doing this.” I thought, “Well, it makes perfect sense.” But stunts can go wrong, and stunts have gone wrong with him. He’s broken bones. He’s injured himself, but he’s never come close to dying. That is a mark of, I think, how good he is at this and his team around him. He gets the best in the world. He can do that, and it works.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
MF: Finally, you were in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ and now you’re in the last. What does it mean to you personally to have been a part of one the most popular film franchises of all time?
RS: Again, it’s a gift. This from the outset has been a gift, an unknown gift in the beginning. I mean, this kind of thing, I suppose someone like Tom can do this kind of thing as an actor. He can say, “This is what I want to do,” but to be able to do that is a whole other thing. This was presented to me on a platter. I am fortunate that I’m the one it was presented to. Do you know what I mean? I spend a long-time perfecting what I do as best I can. So, when something like this comes up, hopefully I can do it. But the right place, the right time kind of thing comes to mind. I’ve had a lucky career. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve done many things that I’ve been gifted for. But this has got to be at the top. This is great.
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What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?
Following the events of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must stop the villainous Gabriel (Esai Morales) from gaining control of the powerful sentient AI known as the Entity, which has plans of its own for the world.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Based on the popular TV series of the same name, Tom Cruise‘s ‘Mission: Impossible‘ films have earned more than $4 billion at the box office and has become one of the most popular cinematic franchises of all time!
Cruise and McQuarrie have revitalized the franchise with their elaborate stunts and action sequences, and their latest addition to the series, and possibly the last, ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘, opens in theaters on May 23rd.
In honor of the new film’s release, Moviefone is ranking every ‘Mission: Impossible’ film ever made.
With computer genius Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) at his side and a beautiful thief (Thandiwe Newton) on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One ‘from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
When Ethan Hunt (Cruise), the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the IMF team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity — which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe — with the world’s governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan’s past on their trail. Joined by new allies and armed with the means to shut the Entity down for good, Hunt is in a race against time to prevent the world as we know it from changing forever.
Retired from active duty to train new IMF agents, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is called back into action to confront sadistic arms dealer, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Hunt must try to protect his girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan) while working with his new team to complete the mission.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
Ethan (Cruise) and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating ‘The Syndicate’, an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.
When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt (Cruise) takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
If 2023’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ was a rocketship of a movie that blasted clear into the stratosphere on a two-and-a-half-hour surge of supercharged action fuel, then ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ is the long, bumpy descent back to Earth, full of near-misses and some truly exhilarating moments before settling onto the ground in somewhat anticlimactic fashion.
As a possible close to this nearly 30-year-old, eight-movie saga, it’s frustrating, fan-servicey, and non-committal; as an entry on its own terms in what has become one of the best action franchises of the 21st century, it’s got a weird structure that goes flat for long stretches before jolting us with some of the series’ most electrifying set pieces. But star/producer Tom Cruise, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie and their cast work hard to sew up many of the franchise’s loose ends and deliver a ton of movie, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the last three or four chapters in the story.
Story and Direction
Director Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The first 30 or 40 minutes of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ are its wobbliest. The film begins with a montage of moments from across the entire series, as if to remind us of not just what happened in the last movie, but to recap the entire saga and jog our memories of how monumental it all is. We’ve also got to get up to speed on the events of ‘Dead Reckoning,’ since – despite the efforts to play down the two films as ‘Part One’ and ‘Part Two’ after the former underperformed at the box office – ‘The Final Reckoning’ is a direct sequel that picks up almost right where we left off (despite reports of reshoots, some of which are glaringly obvious here).
Cruise and McQuarrie seemingly want to secure their franchise’s place in the action/sci-fi movie firmament as well, right next to the likes of Marvel’s Infinity Saga, the James Bond films, and the Skywalker Saga. In fact, there’s an air of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ around ‘The Final Reckoning,’ with McQuarrie’s screenplay (co-written with Erik Jendresen) not just rehashing the events of movies past but bringing in plot points and characters from specific films — most notably the very first ‘Mission: Impossible’ and J.J. Abrams’ ‘Mission: Impossible III’ – while retconning a few as well. There’s also a significant death early in the picture, which makes it seem – at least initially – that everyone’s life could be up for grabs.
Well, they kind of are, actually: ‘The Final Reckoning’ leans fully into the pulp sci-fi aspect of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ IP — going all the way back to the TV show — by making the stakes here nothing less than the end of human civilization at the hands of the Entity, the sentient, self-replicating AI that was the bogey at the heart of the previous film. As the film opens, the Entity is seizing control of not just the world’s nine major nuclear arsenals one by one, but, oddly, all online content as well, creating its own never-ending of deepfakes and fake news to confuse the human race and turn everyone against each other (as if we need AI to do that these days).
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The Entity’s proselytizer and human henchman from the first film, Gabriel (Esai Morales), is now operating on his own and wants to get control of it, which requires a key that only Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is currently in possession of. Former CIA director Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), now the President of the United States, wants Ethan to come in, while current CIA director, the eternally oily Kittredge (Henry Czerny), wants to get his hands on the Entity’s steering wheel as well. But Ethan knows that the Entity cannot be tamed and must be destroyed.
The means to do that is revealed in a lot of heavily-convoluted scenes of exposition that stop the film dead in its tracks several times, with McQuarrie deploying characters to finish each other’s sentences even if they’re sometimes not in the same room or on the same continent. The results are bizarre, as if the filmmakers are taking the criticism of this property’s often nonsensical storylines so seriously that they want to make sure that you’re fully briefed every 10 minutes or so.
In any case, it turns out that the only way to either stop or gain control of the Entity is by obtaining its source code, which is on a drive hidden away in that submarine that sank at the beginning of ‘Dead Reckoning.’ If that source code can be combined with a “poison pill” virus created by Ethan’s reliable bestie and teammate Luther (Ving Rhames) and uploaded to the internet, it can theoretically send the Entity scurrying through the world’s routers and fiber-optic cables into a trap that Ethan, Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell) and their allies hope can capture the AI “in the blink of an eye.”
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. Photo: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
With the IMF team on the run from the Bering Sea to South Africa to achieve their mission, as Gabriel’s minions close in on them from one side and Kittredge’s squads bear down on the other, ‘The Final Reckoning’ eventually kicks into gear with two absolutely superb action sequences that are notable for how unlike each other they are. The first is an eerie, almost completely wordless 20-minute segment in which Ethan indeed breaches that sub, now a massive underwater tomb, and must escape with the source code before the sub plunges off the outcropping it’s perched on to the bottom of the ocean. Ethan’s fight to get out is incredibly nerve-wracking, although the end of the sequence undermines even its movie realism by allowing him to do something we were told one scene earlier is impossible for any human to do.
The second action set piece is basically the entire third act, a steady build-up of tension as we cut between Ethan and Gabriel battling in mid-air on dueling bi-planes, a standoff in an underground shelter involving guns, a ticking bomb, and one badly injured hero, and the President getting ready to pre-emptively press the nuclear button with a traitor standing just feet from her. The aerial dogfight is nothing short of stunningly spectacular, Cruise once again risking his life as he hangs off both planes and slides all over their wingspans as the aircraft dive and swoop through mountains, ravines and valleys.
That last half hour is really what we want from a ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie, and worth every penny onscreen (speaking of which, the movie looks astounding throughout, even if large chunks of it take place in tight, dark spaces). The very end of the story, meanwhile, sort of undermines the climax but also suggests a last-minute retooling. It’s not really clear where this franchise goes from here, but it is evident from the movie’s coda that the filmmakers themselves don’t really know either.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Is his job finally getting to Ethan Hunt, or is making these behemoths finally getting to Tom Cruise? The venerable movie star seems a bit tired here, although in some ways he gives perhaps his most emotional performance as Ethan Hunt. Still, the idea that the fate of the world rests on his shoulders – and has been resting on them for a while – seems a bit much to hang on one guy. Having said that, Cruise gives his all here as usual, particular in those gut-churning airborne stunts and his seemingly unending ability to run great distances at speed.
As with ‘Dead Reckoning,’ the cast here is stacked to the rafters. It’s just a shame that most of the glittering ensemble don’t really play characters but just chess pieces who each get a moment or two to shine if they’re lucky. Pegg and Rhames are dependable as always, forming the emotional core of the movie, while Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff look fabulous as they do whatever the script requires and little else.
(L to R) Nick Offerman, Charles Parnell, Angela Bassett, Mark Gatiss and Janet McTeer in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
As for the rest of the folks – Bassett, Holt McCallany as the Secretary of Defense, Nick Offerman as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (just one year after playing the President himself!), the great Janet McTeer as Someone Important in the President’s Circle, and Hannah Waddingham and Tramell Tillman as a carrier commander and submarine captain respectively – well, they’re all terrific (especially Waddingham and Tillman) and we wish we could see more of them.
The biggest disappointment is Esai Morales’ Gabriel. We warmed to him in ‘Dead Reckoning,’ but here the character’s motivations are even more vague, and Morales seems unsure whether to play the character as a cool-as-a-cucumber 007 antagonist or a maniacally laughing comic book supervillain.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt and Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Even though the movie itself doesn’t close the book definitively, this is probably where the mission should end (some thought it should have wrapped two movies ago with the sublime ‘Fallout’). It doesn’t seem plausible that each installment can keep getting bigger, and it’s less plausible that Tom Cruise will begin to age backwards. The more pronounced underlying theme here as well – Ethan Hunt is the savior of the world – strains good taste and credibility.
But let’s also give thanks to Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and everyone else involved in these films over the years – including a handful that should receive a tip of the hat in this entry but don’t (cough, Rebecca Ferguson, cough) – who have kept the torch lit for big-screen, crowd-pleasing, spectacular action epics with a bit of heart and brains. ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ might not be the best of the series by a long shot, but it goes out mostly strong and even makes a much-needed plea for kindness, understanding, and trust. That might be the most impossible mission of all – should we choose to accept it.
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What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?
Following the events of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must stop the villainous Gabriel (Esai Morales) from gaining control of the powerful sentient AI known as the Entity, which has plans of its own for the world.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Paramount offered news on some of its upcoming movies at its CinemaCon Presentation.
‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ and ‘The Running Man’ were among those hyped.
Surprisingly little was said about ‘Scream 7’ and a few other big titles.
Paramount had a very mixed 2024. Though the likes of ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ and ‘Smile 2’ did decent business, the studio also had its share of disappointments –– despite a compelling subject matter in musician Robbie Williams (albeit one unfamiliar to many in the States) and the intriguing choice to portray him entirely as a CGI ape, ‘Better Man’ became a domestic flop.
The studio is also dealing with being in flux in terms of management, with Skydance merger battling its way to closure.
More importantly, 2025 is ‘Mission’ critical, and by that, we mean ‘Mission: Impossible –– The Final Reckoning,’ which needs to reassure theater chain owners that the franchise can get back to its glory days after the disappointing returns for 2023’s ‘Dead Reckoning.’
Tom Cruise attends the Abu Dhabi Red Carpet and Premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ presented by Paramount Pictures and Skydance at Emirates Palace Hotel on June 26, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.
Not to mention that this is potentially the actual final ‘Mission: Impossible,’ at least starring Tom Cruise in his ongoing collaboration with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie. The big question: would the company announce that this really is the last chapter in a saga that began back in the 1990s (at least in movie terms), as a way to goose interest? Or would it confidently confirm that, like James Bond, Ethan Hunt would return?
Either way, the CinemaCon presentation was likely to feature Tom Cruise in some fashion –– be it on stage, or on video clinging to a plane, train or automobile (or building).
Or even, possibly just on screen holding his breath underwater during the entire panel, simply to prove he can.
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
And now, on with the show…
Stunts are often something studios like to roll out, so Paramount kicked off with Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution riding a motorcycle on stage. He rode off to be replaced by three other riders, who did jumps off ramps and flips, all with smoke and explosions. Aronson was back to announce, “that’s right, I do my own stunts!”
He also talked up the company’s efforts to make 2025 a rebound year after the strikes and pledged to show fewer ads and trailers in theaters (phew!), plus other deals such as discount Wednesdays and extended matinee hours.
Following a sizzle reel of Paramount Pictures past and future, Brian Robbins, president and CEO took the stage to announce big news… Four ‘Paw Patrol’ movies for each pup to compete with Sony’s Beatles movies. He was joking of course. Or was he???!!
(L to R) Callum Shoniker as “Rocky,” Christian Corrao as “Marshall,” Luxton Handspiker as “Rubble,” Nylan Parthipan as “Zuma,” Christian Convery as “Chase,” McKenna Grace as “Skye,” Marsai Martin as “Liberty,” Alan Kim as “Nano,” Finn Lee-Epp as “Ryder,” North West as “Mini,” and Brice Gonzalez as “Tot” in ‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ from Spin Master Entertainment, Nickelodeon Movies, and Paramount Pictures.
Robbins also said that the studio’s guiding principle is shareholder… Sorry, that people love going to the movies.
Co-writer/director Edgar Wright was on stage to tout the Glen Powell-starring new version of the dystopian King story where civilians compete in deadly games to win cash prizes.
‘The Running Man,’ is per Wright is “the kind of movie that gives everyone something to cheer for.” He explained that since the source novel is set in 2025, so is the movie.
And talking of cheering, he was joined by star Powell on stage.
Powell said:
“This is the full meal. What Edgar has cooked up with this one is nothing short of extraordinary,”
The actor joked that he asked pal and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ boss Tom Cruise for advice on using a stunt double –– and has paid the price for doing so much himself.
“We knew we were part of something really special,” gushed Domingo, while Brolin admitted it was a thrill to play a wonderfully maniacal character.
Despite the movie having wrapped three short weeks ago, Domingo (dropping into character as show host Bobby Thompson) was able to cue up some footage, and a first look played.
In an extended trailer, Brolin’s executive character recruits Glen for show to protect his family. Lots of action. We see him in show and then being chased.
‘The Running Man’ sprints into theaters on November 7th.
The latest take on the little blue creatures features, as previously mentioned, Rihanna (who touted the movie in a video introduction) as the voice of Smurfette, in the story of Papa Smurf being kidnapped and the others having to find him.
The first trailer for the new animated/live-action outing was shown, showing how our diminutive heroes travel to the real world in search of Papa and encounter Ken, his brother (Offerman).
‘Smurfs’ will smurf its way into theaters on July 18th.
The latest SpongeBob film had voice star Tom Kenny on stage to talk up the movie, (he called it a “coming of age” story), joined by fellow performer Mark Hamill. Cue the ‘Corvette Summer’ jokes!
Hamill –– who plays the Flying Dutchman –– made the crowd laugh by saying,
“I did an episode in Season Five and I did such a good job they asked me back 18 years later!”
We got a first look at the film itself. Like ‘Smurfs,’ (and some other SpongeBob outings) it blends animation with live action, and features Clancy Brown as Blackbeard. The story finds out hero wanting to grow up and embrace his macho side by having more adventures –– including to the underworld.
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ will sail into theaters on December 19th.
Liam Neeson plays Frank in ‘The Naked Gun’ from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The new reboot of the classic comedy franchise –– spawned, let’s not forget from the files of ‘Police Squad’ is a Seth MacFarlane-produced take on the idea with Liam Neeson and Paul Walter Hauser among the cast.
‘Naked Gun’s presentation kicked off with a saxophone player on stage pumping out noir-y music as Chris Aronson stood silently on stage, while a recorded voice-over played over the speakers as if his internal monologue was happening in real time.
Best line?
“This musician sounds expensive, but this is Vegas, you have to pay for good sax…”
The teaser was shown, which you can find here:
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It’s a funny clip, introducing Neeson’s badass Frank Jr taking out bank robbers, only slightly undercut by being dressed as a Catholic schoolgirl complete with panties. Bonus points for a fun final gag featuring a wall of tributes to dead cops, crying sons honoring their fathers and possibly the best way to incorporate OJ Simpson (who played Nordberg in the original).
‘The Naked Gun’ stumbles on to screens on August 1st.
He cued the first trailer for the movie, a biopic of the fugitive Jeffrey Manchester, a former United States Army Reserve officer, known colloquially as “Roofman” due to his propensity to steal from branches of McDonald’s after entering their premises via the roof, and, after he was jailed and got out evaded further capture from police by hiding in the wall of a Toys ‘R’ Us store.
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Paramount’s Robbins returned to the stage to introduce the one, the only Tom Cruise, who got a rapturous reception.
Instead of launching into promotion, Cruise took a moment to memorialize friend and ‘Top Gun’ co-star Val Kilmer, who recently died.
“I can’t tell you how much I respected his work and to have him in ‘Top Gun’ and back for ‘Maverick.’ Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey.”
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
From there, he enthused about ‘Mission’ writer/director Chris McQuarrie, with Cruise mentioning how long they’ve been collaborating (on the Ethan Hunt movies and beyond). He even joked that people think “McQ” (as Tom calls him) is Jonathan Lipnicki from ‘Jerry Maguire’ all grown up!
Cruise went on to talk about how the ‘Mission’ movies are a puzzle and a Rubik’s Cube made under intense pressure, living breathing things where endless discoveries are made in the process.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
They also discussed how Cruise brought McQuarrie in to rewrite scenes in ‘Ghost Protocol’ but didn’t tell Brad Bird or the rest of cast. Brad and Simon Pegg said on set, “who is this guy?” Tom replied, “That’s McQ”. Apparently McQuarrie came up with the “Blue is glue, red is dead” stunt scene on the spot in Dubai.
There was also time for Cruise to add that he’s looking forward to seeing ‘F1’ and his recollections of racing go-karts against friend Brad Pitt (who stars in that movie) while making ‘Interview with the Vampire’ together.
(L to R) Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in ‘F1’. Photo: Warner Bros. and Apple Original FIlms.
Switching tracks back to ‘Mission,’ Cruise stressed the challenges and importance of shooting in the pandemic, keeping crews working and the industry going.
“We were able to deliver these movies to theaters despite being shut down by pandemic and two strikes.”
Cruise then introduced McQuarrie himself, who strode on stage and quipped:
“Tom knows I can’t stand compliments, he’s enjoying this immensely…”
He’ll have to suffer more, as he’s receiving the Director of the Year award at the CinemaCon awards later.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
He offers that he was ready to quit the business, but Cruise saw potential in him.
Cruise: “I’m here today because if your vision and trust.”
And for McQ’s side:
“It’s been fun to work with you and put you in harm’s way for everyone’s pleasure.”
The new ‘Mission’ movie contains some of the most complex practical sequences on celluloid –– not that that should be surprising from these two.
(R to L) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Admitting that they’d be nowhere without audiences, Cruise introduced the new ‘Final Reckoning’ trailer, but not before name-checking every writer and director who has worked on the franchise so far, plus the executive likes of Sherry Lansing, Sumner Redstone and Paula Wagner too.
Then, it was time for the trailer itself, which sometimes felt like an expanded version of the teaser that arrived last year.
Lots of Ethan Hunt action (of course!) with Tom leaping off and onto things, plus a look at some newer cast members including Nick Offerman and Janet McTeer. It also serves as a love-letter to the whole franchise.
(L to R) Nick Offerman, Charles Parnell, Angela Bassett, Mark Gatiss and Janet McTeer in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Indeed, the ‘Mission’ portion of the presentation felt like that too –– while no one said directly it’s the end, this felt pretty final. Until they announce the next one, that is…
‘Mission: Impossible –– The Final Reckoning’ speeds into cinemas on May 23rd.
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And talking of finality, there ended the Paramount CinemaCon 2025 presentation!
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt and Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
