Tom Cruise ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies Dated for Summers of 2021, 2022

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Paramount Pictures has set late summer release dates for the next two installments of “Mission: Impossible.”

The studio announced Friday night that the seventh film in the series will be released on July 23, 2021, and the eighth film will open on Aug. 5, 2022.

Variety first reported on Jan. 14 that Christopher McQuarrie was returning to direct both films from his own scripts with Tom Cruise confirming his return as IMF agent Ethan Hunt.

Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of , “We couldn’t be more excited to build on the massive success of ‘ — Fallout’ by reteaming with Chris and Tom on these next two films, following two successful collaborations.”

The announcement also disclosed that Skydance’s David Ellison will again produce, as he has on the last three films. “We’ve also enjoyed a great partnership with Skydance and David Ellison on these three most recent films and look forward to continued success together on this great franchise,” Gianopulos said.

“Fallout” grossed more than $790 million worldwide in 2018, the best haul in the six-film franchise to date. McQuarrie also directed 2015’s “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation,” which took in $682 million worldwide.

After years of switching up the director to give a new feel to each installment, Cruise and Paramount have now settled on McQuarrie as the primary director — similarly to Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling selecting David Yates to directed the final four films of the “Harry Potter” series and the first three films of the Fantastic Beasts spinoff franchise.