"Mission: Impossible" 8 faces delays and soaring costs; tensions rise on set

The Mission: Impossible film series will soon celebrate its 30th anniversary. Currently, there are no signs that it will end anytime soon. Work is underway on the eighth instalment. However, reports from foreign media indicate there are ongoing issues. Progress has been delayed due to the failure of a crucial machine, and the budget has already swelled to massive proportions.

It all started in 1996, when Tom Cruise first took on the role of Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent falsely accused of treason, who must identify the real spy to prove his innocence, in Brian De Palma's film. In the subsequent years, directors of the later instalments included John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Brad Bird. The last three instalments of the hit series have been directed by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects," "Top Gun: Maverick"), who is also working on the eighth chapter.

Despite the initially unsatisfactory results of the seventh film (it earned "only" £63 million on its opening weekend when at least £73 million was expected), "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" ultimately did quite well in theatres. However, a profit of over £460 million wasn't entirely able to offset the enormous budget (£235 million). The rescue was supposed to be another high-budget production. For now, however, there are only problems with it.

According to foreign media reports, a stabilizer failed while filming a costly £20 million underwater scene. The machine meant to support the structure couldn't handle the load. Now, a repair is necessary, which, of course, requires time. And as we know, time is money, especially on a film set.

Moreover, the creation of the eighth instalment has already been significantly delayed due to last year's strikes by actors and writers. Before the strikes began, only 40% of the footage was shot, supposedly the more accessible material to film. No wonder tensions are high. Adding fuel to the fire is the conflict between the central star, Tom Cruise, and the Paramount leadership, who are frustrated with the ever-increasing budget. It is now reportedly around £318 million. This puts it close to the record set by another record holder, "Gladiator 2", which will be released in November this year.

The premiere of the eighth part of "Mission: Impossible" (the title is not known yet; it will definitely not be a continuation of "Dead Reckoning – Part One") is expected in May 2025.