Box Office: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Shooting for $60 Million-Plus Launch

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” is eyeing a North American opening weekend in the $60 million range, early tracking shows.

The lower end of estimates come in at $48 million, while others are speculating earnings as high as $65 million.

Tracking also revealed that total awareness is at 82%, definite interest is at 42%, and unaided awareness is a 16% for the sixth title in Paramount’s durable “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which has grossed $2.78 billion worldwide so far. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” flies into theaters on July 27.

2015’s “Rogue Nation” had a solid $55.5 million domestic launch and wound up with $192 million domestically and $682 million worldwide. The highest opener in the franchise was 2000’s “Mission: Impossible 2” with $57.8 million, while 2011’s “Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol” was the lowest at $29.6 million.

Cruise wowed  CinemaCon audiences in April after  detailing one of the film’s major stunts . Cruise fell at 200 mph to complete a skydiving scene in 106 takes. The three-minute scene takes place above Paris at sunset as CIA agents Ethan Hunt and August Walker (Henry Cavill) skydive at 25,000 feet into a lightning storm and are struck by lightening that leaves Walker unconscious, requiring Hunt to somehow catch and revive Walker before they hit the ground.

“Mission: Impossible — Fallout” is being directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who returned to the director’s chair after directing “Rogue Nation.” He also wrote the script for “Fallout.” The first four films were directed by Brian De Palma, John Woo, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird.

“Mission: Impossible — Fallout” is produced and financed by Paramount and partner Skydance Productions, headed by David Ellison. Cruise is a producer along with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger.

Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Michelle Monaghan, and Sean Harris are reprising their roles from previous films, while Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, and Sian Brooke are joining the cast. The franchise is based on the TV series that ran from 1966 to 1973. The first film opened in 1996 when Cruise was 33. He turned 56 earlier this month.

Warner Bros. is also debuting “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” on July 27, with early tracking for the animated comedy in the $14 million to $19 million range.