One of the more successful films of the summer 2015 season was Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Earning $682.3 million at the worldwide box office and garnering very positive reviews (read ours), the franchise’s fifth installment showed that Ethan Hunt and his team of spies are still going strong nearly 20 years after the first film. As such, many fans are excited to see Mission: Impossible 6, which is aiming to begin production in 2016.
Those who enjoyed Rogue Nation should be in for a treat, seeing how M:I 5 standout Rebecca Ferguson is reportedly reprising her role as Ilsa Faust, and helmsman Christopher McQuarrie is returning to the director’s chair (making him the first filmmaker to call the shots on two M:I movies). After McQuarrie did a great job with Rogue Nation, expectations will be high for the followup, and he knows he needs to take things to the next level.
Speaking with Collider to promote Rogue Nation’s release on Blu-ray, McQuarrie provided a brief update on the development of M:I 6, giving moviegoers a glimpse into his approach while crafting the script:
Moviegoers are very familiar with M:I’s franchise staple of outrageous stunts. Star Tom Cruise is always challenging himself, upping the ante with each outing. Few believed he could ever top scaling the Burj Khalifa in Dubai during 2011’s Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, but hanging on to the side of an actual airplane for Rogue Nation was a worthy successor. While story and character will be key to ensuring the series’ continued hot streak, it’s nice to know McQuarrie is not resting on his laurels and is looking to wow audiences even more with more of the franchise’s trademark spectacle in an elaborate action sequence.
Look, we definitely have to raise the bar, we’ve got to do that every time. And we have an idea for one sequence in particular and it’s one we’re very, very excited about. It’s going to be incredibly challenging to do, and we’re very excited.
It looks like M:I 6 is the main priority for McQuarrie, but it’s not the only sequel he’s aiming to work on. Earlier this year, Tom Cruise teased the idea of him and Emily Blunt doing Edge of Tomorrow 2, a continuation of last year’s well-received sci-fi flick (for which McQuarrie wrote the screenplay). McQuarrie touched on this in his interview, revealing that the duo is in fact ironing out a concept:
Fans of the first film will be excited to hear this, and hopefully Warner Bros. bites on the pitch. The first film was critically acclaimed upon release, but did not have the most impressive box office performance. That was mostly due to the studio’s mishandling of the marketing (they never settled on a title) rather than the quality of the final product. Many bemoaned the fact it was not a bona fide blockbuster, and now that WB knows there’s an audience for the property, they might be willing to give the go-ahead on the sequel. Cruise and McQuarrie have had a fruitful partnership; it’d be nice to see it continue in more ways than one.
We have the idea for the sequel locked and loaded. I don’t know what I can say. I can only say it’s a going concern.
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is now available on Blu-ray. We’ll keep you updated on Mission: Impossible 6 and Edge of Tomorrow 2.
Source: Collider
