Mission: Impossible IV A Reboot With New Title, Cast Member

According to Variety, it seems that JJ Abrams' produced Mission: Impossible IV is taking the Spider-Man route with a reboot of the franchise. Tom Cruise will reprise the Ethan Hunt role but the rumors indicate the goal is to essentially pass the torch on to a new character and likely phase out Cruise's role in future installments. The person tapped to replace him is Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Avengers) who is said to have as much screen time as Cruise does.

Another odd rumor is they plan on copying The Dark Knight by choosing a title that references the franchise without using the name. The idea of passing the torch sounds like a good one but the risk of confusing audiences with a title that is unlikely to invoke the franchise seems silly. Anyone with even passing interest in Batman knows what "The Dark Knight" meant before the movie came out. Just like naming a Superman film "The Man of Steel" would work for the same reason. Mission: Impossible simply doesn't have that same built in recognition.

Super 8's Creature Creator Interview

Wired.com has posted an interview with Tron: Legacy concept designer Neville Page as he talked about the movie and also about working on the creature design for JJ Abrams' Super 8. He also worked on "Big Red" for the Star Trek movie and Avatar. The interview starts off as the trailer was Page's introduction to the creature in the movie. He described the experience as "I got to design something that comes [out of the boxcar]. Block of marble. It’s in there for JJ. He knows what it is sorta and I have to extract it from the boxcar. When that door blows open, it’s the ultimate reveal. It’s Elvis or something. ...With JJ you have to find the answer by exploring multiple avenues." I attempted to embed the video below but if doesn't play click here.

Mission: Impossible IV A Go

A leaked Paramount memo has brought some attention to their upcoming slate of films. A few need some work but a few are gearing up for production. One of those is Mission: Impossible IV. The movie will not be directed by Abrams, he will be an executive producer on the film. Tom Cruise is already on board as is Ving Rhames. Simon Pegg is in talks but nothing yet. Brad Bird (The Incredibles) is set to direct for a December 16, 2011 release date. The movie was considered on the edge of being cancelled due to the lackluster box office of Cruise’s Knight and Day but he negotiated a salary decrease that satisfied the studio so could move forward.

Abrams Game for 7 Minutes in Heaven

JJ Abrams has to be one of the busiest men in Hollywood right now with prepping to write and direct Super 8, offering advice on Star Trek 2, and adding yet another project to his producer’s plate. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Abram's Bad Robot is "developing a thriller based on the teenage make out game of snogging in the closet" called 7 Minutes in Heaven. The project is from Jack Bender, who directed for Lost including its last episode. Right now the project has no writer, schedule or budget so could be a little while before it moves forward. I believe that Abrams will be executive producer on the project so his other endeavors should really interfere with production once a script is settled on.

Mission: Impossible 4 Gets Boost

It seems that the odds of a JJ Abrams' produced Mission: Impossible IV getting made just increased by a significant amount. Collider is reporting that Tom Cruise has agreed to take a significant up front pay cut in an effort to get the film made. Instead he will get back-end profits which might mean more money long term but for the bean counters it increases the likelihood of getting a return on their $135 million investment which increases the chances of getting the greenlight. Tom Cruise's star has recently sunk to new lows has Knight & Day failed at the box office. It seems he is hoping M:I4 puts him back on top of the action game (or at least just behind Will Smith).