Mission: Impossible (Movie)

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    The Director of ‘Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning’ Unpacks Key Franchise Moments

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    Christopher McQuarrie was a 27-year-old former movie-theater security guard when he won the Oscar for best screenplay in 1996 for “The Usual Suspects.” Things went a little pear-shaped from that early peak, as they tend to do in Hollywood, and the Princeton, N.J., native was looking to leave the industry altogether when he piqued Tom Cruise’s interest for another script that became the 2008 Hitler-assassination drama “Valkyrie.”It was the start of a professional relationship that has culminated in McQuarrie, now 56, directing and co-producing the past four films of the “Mission Impossible” franchise, including “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” in which Cruise famously stars as the unsinkable (and seemingly unkillable) special agent Ethan Hunt.Recently, McQuarrie spoke with The Times in New York and later via video call from the back of an SUV in Mexico City about the choice to make A.I. the villain, the question of whether the franchise is coming to an end, and a “gnarly” secret Tom Cruise movie in the works. Here are edited excerpts from those conversations.When did the decision come that “Dead Reckoning” and “Final Reckoning” would be the final two films in the franchise?Over the course of “Rogue Nation” [2015], “Fallout” [2018] and then “Dead Reckoning” [2023], we were delving deeper and deeper into the emotions of the characters and their arcs. I said, “Look, we know that it’s going to be a long movie, let’s just cut it in half.”I understand the irony of me saying we were going to make two two-hour movies and we ended up making these two much, much bigger ones. But we didn’t really think of it as being the conclusion of anything until we were about halfway through “Dead Reckoning.” Over time, we started to feel that this is a movie about the franchise more than just about the mission.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The Women Who Try to Keep Pace With Ethan Hunt

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      Over eight installments, the “Mission: Impossible” franchise has never quite found the perfect match for Tom Cruise’s world-saving spy.Ethan Hunt, the charismatic hero of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise played by Tom Cruise, cares about one thing above all else: His team.The story of Ethan’s life as told in eight movies has been marked by his intense loyalty to the people by his side. The most enduring have been Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), the computer whiz who has been his buddy in all installments, and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), another technical genius who guides him through sticky situations. But Ethan’s love life has been an evolving saga that has gone through some hiccups, as the filmmakers try to figure out how to pair off a man whose work life involves scaling buildings, jumping out of planes and saving the world every few years. Over the years, the “Mission: Impossible” films have tested out different roles for the ladies in Ethan’s life, to varying degrees of success.Emmanuelle Béart as Claire Phelps in “Mission: Impossible” (1996)Emmanuelle Béart’s femme fatale character was the first “Mission” lead opposite Cruise.Paramount PicturesIn the series’ first entry, directed by Brian De Palma, Ethan has a sexually charged relationship with Claire (Emmanuelle Béart). She is the wife of Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), Ethan’s Impossible Mission Force team leader, who is presumed dead. Only, Jim isn’t dead, he’s actually the one framing Ethan in order to steal a top-secret list of undercover agents and make a financial killing. And Claire, it turns out, was in on the ruse. She dies at the hand of her husband, a bittersweet ending for a pretty classic femme fatale.Thandiwe Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall in “Mission: Impossible II” (2000)Thandiwe Newton and Dougray Scott in “Mission: Impossible II.” Paramount PicturesThe second installment of the franchise is known as the rockiest — and not just because it features Ethan rock climbing. That extends to his love interest, Nyah, played by Thandiwe Newton. Unlike other “M:I” ladies, Nyah follows the model of a Bond girl. She’s a thief who Ethan must enlist to help him track down a deadly virus known as Chimera, stolen by her ex-boyfriend (Dougray Scott). From the moment she’s onscreen, her body is sexualized, and very soon after she meets Ethan, they end up in bed together. But the whole plot feels forced, as if the filmmakers were trying to convince us that Ethan is a different character, more suave than he actually is.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      A ‘Mission: Impossible’ Fan Favorite Returns 3 Decades Later

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      When Rolf Saxon first auditioned to play William Donloe in Brian De Palma’s 1996 “Mission: Impossible,” he didn’t think he had gotten the role of the bumbling C.I.A. analyst who is outsmarted by Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt during a break-in at Langley headquarters.He waited an hour and a half for De Palma, who then saw him for just five minutes. Saxon figured that was it. But not only did he get the role, making him a crucial player in what would become an iconic scene, he’s now back playing that same character nearly 30 years later in “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” It’s a return that distinctly raises the profile of the self-described “jobbing actor,” who spent the past 10 years mostly doing theater in the Bay Area.“When this came along, it was like, ‘Wow, are you kidding?’” he said in a video interview. “This is fantastic. This is a nice little cherry on top.”In the first film, Donloe only has a few minutes of screen time. He’s a working stooge who is poisoned by Ethan’s team in its quest to steal a list of covert agents off his computer housed in a secure vault. While Donloe goes back and forth to the bathroom to throw up, Ethan drops down from a ceiling vent to pull off his caper. When Donloe returns to the vault, he finds a knife on his desk and realizes he messed up big time. His fate is sealed by Kittridge, the Impossible Mission Force official, who says, “I want him manning a radar tower in Alaska by the end of the day.” Donloe’s main role is collateral damage.But according to the “Final Reckoning” director Christopher McQuarrie, Donloe made a big impact. In fact, he said in an interview, fans frequently asked him when he was going to bring the character back. For a long time, he didn’t understand why Donloe engendered such love, until he heard the question framed in a different way: “When is the team going to do right by what they did to Donloe?”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Cannes Film Festival 2025: What to Watch From This Year’s Star-Packed Lineup

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      The event is packed with high-profile English-language movies, including the new “Mission: Impossible” and a Jennifer Lawrence-Robert Pattinson drama.The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival begins Tuesday, and this lineup is particularly star-packed. Which titles could follow in the path of last year’s big breakouts like “Anora” and “The Substance”? Here are the stories we have our eye on this year.It’s a Hollywood-heavy lineup.Though Cannes is traditionally known for showcasing the best in global cinema, the lineup is packed with so many high-profile English-language films that it could be mistaken for a festival in Hollywood.The biggest premieres include “Die My Love,” which pairs Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson as a couple in a crumbling marriage; the new Spike Lee film, “Highest 2 Lowest,” with Denzel Washington; and Wes Anderson’s caper “The Phoenician Scheme,” with Benicio Del Toro leading an ensemble that includes Michael Cera, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hanks and Riz Ahmed.There’s also the romantic drama “The History of Sound,” with Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor; Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” a tribute to the French new wave; and “Eddington” from Ari Aster (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”), with an A-list cast featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler. And if that weren’t Hollywood-heavy enough, Tom Cruise will debut his final “Mission: Impossible” movie on the festival’s second day.Actors are making their directorial debuts.Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson are all Cannes mainstays, but for this year’s fest, the three actors are instead stepping behind the camera for their feature directing debuts. And lest you assume they’re making vanity projects, all three declined starring roles in their own movies.Stewart’s long-in-the-works “The Chronology of Water” will bow first, starring Imogen Poots as a young woman struggling with issues of addiction and sexuality. Next up is “Urchin,” from the “Babygirl” breakout Dickinson, about a London drifter (Frank Dillane) struggling to find his place in society. And the second week of the festival will debut Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” a comedy starring June Squibb.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Cary Elwes Is Soothed By Grunge and a Maltese Poodle

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      The actor, who appears in the latest “Mission: Impossible,” picked up a deep interest in Napoleon’s life from Stanley Kubrick.When Cary Elwes got a call about appearing in “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” he said yes to the movie before he knew much about the part. He came to learn that his role was that of Denlinger, the director of national intelligence. But the character’s biography and place in the “Mission” universe was long a mystery, even to the man who played him.“It was a pleasant surprise,” Elwes said in a video interview from his home in Los Angeles. “It was so secretive that we were really getting as much as we needed to know when we needed to know it.”But he knew exactly what he was getting into with Tom Cruise, having worked with the franchise’s star more than 30 years earlier in the 1990s racecar drama “Days of Thunder.”“He was the same guy then as he is today,” Elwes said, adding: “He sort of inspires everyone around him to give it 110 percent.”Elwes, 60, talked about the music, cities, pets and pastimes that similarly inspire him. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.1GrungeMy music’s very important to me. It helps me define my day in terms of soothing me. My interests range from classical to jazz, blues, the Beatles, Zeppelin and grunge. Let’s face it: Nirvana and Pearl Jam changed music. They invented a whole new genre. Because of that, there’s always going to be a place for them.2MaryleboneLondon has changed so much in the 30 years since I lived there that when I go back now I’m finding new places that I really get fond of. One of them is Marylebone, a great strolling street area, which has a lot of little restaurants, shops, boutiques and pubs. It’s very charming and there’s very little traffic, so it’s perfect for a sunny day.3Video ChatI regularly make trips abroad to shooting locations. I made an agreement with my wife and daughter that we should never be apart more than two weeks, and if we are, then I should figure out a way to come home or bring them out to where I am. As they grow older, your kids, they start testing their wings to leave the nest. So, when I’m not there, I still try to catch as much time as I can with my daughter, either through FaceTime or Zoom.4Our Maltese PoodleWhen I was a kid, I had a cat, but I didn’t understand how to treat it well and to get the cat to hang out with me. I never wanted a dog, but then my daughter sent me a picture of a Maltese poodle and I just about melted. This is the first time I’ve had a pet as an adult and there’s a love there that I didn’t understand until I had one for myself and he became part of the family.5BiographiesI’m an amateur historian, so I love reading about people’s stories and history, especially historical biographies. Right now, I’m reading a biography called “Hannibal,” by Patrick N. Hunt. I’m also reading a memoir by Carolyn Pfeiffer, an old friend of the family, who has written a book about her life in the entertainment industry called “Chasing the Panther: Adventures and Misadventures of a Cinematic Life.”6… Especially Napoleon’sI was fortunate enough to be over at Stanley Kubrick’s house when he was studying Napoleon to make a movie right after “2001.” I witnessed some of his research, and that set me on a lifelong path of studying Napoleon. The only person who’s been written more about than Napoleon is Jesus, but the best biography is Felix Markham’s “Napoleon.”7The Language of FilmWhen I was studying film at Sarah Lawrence College, I had a wonderful professor who showed us mostly European movies and really opened my eyes to the beauty and the language of François Truffaut, Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini and all kinds of fabulous European directors I’d never seen before. It changed my whole appreciation of film.8Tide PoolsMuch of the coastline of Spain is either sand or rock. The rocky areas are usually cliffs that have been carved out by erosion from wave action over the centuries. What they’ve done in many areas is carved out these little tide pools, which I first discovered when I was a kid. When you’re 5, 6 years old, coming across a miniature, natural swimming pool with crabs and little fish in it is about as exciting as it gets. Anything that excites you as a child, you will always be linked to in life.9Movie TheatersYou can’t put a price on being in a darkened room with strangers, watching a movie and all of you experiencing the same emotions together.10WritingI like to write when I have some downtime, just keep my brain alert. I’ve published a memoir, “As You Wish” (with Joe Layden). But I can’t tell you about the things I’m working on now. They’re top secret. More

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      Pom Klementieff Is Hooked on Skydiving, Thanks to Tom Cruise

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      The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actress, who plays a villain in the new “Mission: Impossible” movie, considers “Gone Girl” feel-good viewing.Pom Klementieff had just checked into her hotel room in London, and she was still relishing the butter chicken she had consumed an hour ago.“It’s summertime, but it feels like winter — because London is always like that,” she said in a call last month. “So I’m like, ‘OK, I need Indian food.’”The 37-year-old actress, known for her fan-favorite turn as the empathetic alien Mantis in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” films, was on the second city of the world promotional tour for her next superventure, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” in which she plays an assassin hunting Tom Cruise’s character.“I love playing a villain,” Klementieff, chipper and candid, said of her character, Paris, who was based on a male character from the original TV series that inspired the “Mission: Impossible” films. “There’s something cathartic and a little bit insane about it that’s really enjoyable.”The seventh “Mission: Impossible” film allowed her to exercise her stuntwork chops, like her boxing and taekwondo training, that had lain a bit dormant during her turn in the Marvel films.“Mantis isn’t the most physical fighter,” she said. “So this was fun to get to play a rebel who loves killing, fighting, chasing.”Klementieff discussed how Tom Cruise got her hooked on skydiving, why “Gone Girl” is her comfort watch and why she’s been obsessed with Jessica Chastain’s performance in “A Doll’s House” on Broadway. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.1‘Gone Girl’I love watching it on Valentine’s Day when I’m single, or on Christmas when I’m a little low because of family stuff. It’s my feel-good movie.2MotorcyclesI taught myself to ride in the streets and the countryside in France. But now I’m actually doing proper training and I love it. I’m learning how to do a little skid, doing stoppies — I want to learn how to do a wheelie next!3Doing My NailsI love when nail polish has a name that makes me laugh — Natural Connection, Sexy Divide. Usually I do the same color on every nail, or sometimes I do lilac on one hand but with the ring finger green, and then the other hand I do green with a lilac ring finger.4Horseback RidingI found a ranch in Colorado that I love to go to — it’s my happy place. I have a horse there I love called Mister T. He’s amazing. He goes so fast, but he listens, too. There are dunes so it looks like Star Wars; it looks like you’re almost on the moon. It’s just stunning.5@tattooist_doyThere’s this incredible artist in Korea I love — his Instagram handle is @tattooist_doy. He makes such delicate, intricate, beautiful tattoos. Years ago when I was in Korea to promote “Avengers,” he inked a sweet violet on my forearm. It’s a little flower I used to pick with my uncle in the woods when I was little. I’m planning to get another one with him the next time I go to Asia.6Quentin TarantinoI remember falling in love with “Kill Bill” when it came out in theaters in Paris. It’s one of the movies that made me want to become an actress. It made me want to assert my confidence.7Not-Safe-for-Work SocksOne of my agents years ago had a pair of socks that said “[expletive] you, pay me,” and I was like, “I need those socks.” So I bought them, and when I wear them, they make me laugh.8BakingI enjoy baking because the steps have to be right, and the sizes have to be on point. I love making lemon meringue pie, and I’ll draw a heart on it with raspberries. I love to make chocolate fondant; it’s really easy. I used to do that for my boyfriends, when I had boyfriends, a long time ago!9SkydivingI’ve jumped 104 times since October 2021, when Tom Cruise gifted me skydiving lessons as a wrap gift. I love the rush, I love the precision, I love how sharp it makes me. When I jump off a hot-air balloon very early in the morning and the sun is rising and it smells like mist — it’s magical.10Jessica Chastain in ‘A Doll’s House’There’s something so magical and inspiring about watching live theater. When you’re onstage, it’s like you’re skydiving. You’re jumping into the void. There’s no one like, “Oh, there’s a second take or a third take” or “Oh, someone is going to edit it.” It’s right here, right now. I saw Jessica Chastain in “A Doll’s House” recently, and she was so raw and vulnerable. I can’t stop thinking about it. More

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      How ViacomCBS's Content Deals Cost U.S. Taxpayers $4 Billion

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      A new report details ViacomCBS’s use of a labyrinthine tax shelter to sell rights to its shows and films overseas.Dismissed by critics and devoured by fans, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” was the top box office film in 2014, bringing in $1.1 billion, with more than three-quarters of those dollars coming from overseas. More