Production on the new Mission Impossible is ramping up and details of the latest installment are coming to light. Over the last few months Paramount execs put out a casting call to find a new co-star to share the screen with Cruise and be a possible protege to his Ethan Hunt persona in sequels further down the road. Actors such as Chris Pine of Star Trek fame and the new Mad Max, Tom Hardy were considered, but unavailable due to scheduling.
Now it seems that execs have found the right match and have picked rising star Jeremy Renner. The charismatic actor who helped bring home Oscar gold for the Hurt Locker is getting some high profile gigs these days after making numerous films in the past but only recently shooting to fame.
Jeremy Renner and Tom Cruise
His casting seems like a good fit and Cruise and JJ Abrams are obviously excited to work with him. His acting style brings significant depth to roles and is suited to the world of intrigue and deception that are abound in the Mission Impossible films. Simon Pegg who played Benji Dunn in the third outing is expected to make an appearance as is Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, who’s co-starred in all three adventures thus far.
Some years ago when Paramount split with Tom Cruise, the rumors were circulating that a new actor possibly even Brad Pitt was being eyed for the role. Cruise’s outlandish behavior was said to be the reason for Paramount dropping him, but as THR brought to light, it was largely due to the DVD royalties and licensing deals struck by Cruise-Wagner which saw Paramount receive less profit. Having split with his producing partner almost 2 years back, it seems Paramount is able to mend fences with Cruise and have revised a deal that sees him getting a cut of the profits but not so much upfront, just in-case the film under performs.
JJ Abrams who directed the third installment in his big screen directorial debut, will be producing this time round whilst working on the next Star Trek movie. The script is being written by Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec of Alias fame, from a story collaboration with JJ Abrams so all’s off to a good start, in an interview he said:
I’ve been looking forward to working with Josh and Andre again for years. Their sense of balance between character and action is wonderful, which I know is hugely important to Tom as well. We’re off to an exciting start, so, as usual, fingers crossed.
JJ Abrams and Brad Bird
The news is that Pixar animation master Brad Bird is taking over the reigns for what will be his first live action piece. His significant talents are widely respected by Disney and Paramount execs are confident of his ability to take the franchise in a new direction. Tom Cruise when asked about the new director said:
Brad is doing it… The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille – Brad is enormously talented and J.J. and I are having a blast, cranking away. We’re having a lot of fun. I like working with people I just love hanging out with.
His work on the Oscar winning The Incredible’s and other Pixar masterpieces showcase his creative range and it will be interesting to see how his visual style and intuitive understanding of narrative translate to this genre. Though as a digital animator he’s use to a considerably longer development time but he will have to hit the target set by the Studio, which was recently moved from May 27, 2011.
Mission: Impossible 4 begins shooting later this year in Vancouver, Prague, Dubai and the United States with a release date now scheduled for December 16, 2011.
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