Jack Reacher Director Will Take on Next Mission: Impossible

The next installment of the J.J. Abrams-directed Mission: Impossible franchise will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the writer of The Usual Suspects and director of Jack Reacher. McQuarrie will direct from a screenplay by Drew Pearce, with Tom Cruise reprising the iconic role of Ethan Hunt, a character that made his big-screen debut in 1996. The project will be produced by Cruise through Tom Cruise Productions, Paramount and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot, who served as producers on previous films in the hit series. Skydance Productions, who served as co-financers and executive producers of the last installment, will work closely with the team in the development and production process. "I am thrilled to reunite with Chris for the latest installment in the Mission series," said Cruise, who starred in Jack Reacher and the McQuarrie-written Valkyrie and Edge of Tomorrow. "I began producing the films with the goal that a different director with his own vision would make each one. Chris is an extraordinary filmmaker who will deliver the heart-pounding action and thrills that audiences around the world have come to expect from the Mission: Impossible franchise." The last installment, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, generated almost $700 million at the global box office and was the second-best performer in the franchise domestically as well.