Mission Impossible: Always Doing More, Always Successfully
The Mission Impossible franchise, which currently consists of seven films, has become an impossible mission in itself. It has been a tremendous success since its inception in 1996 and is expected to continue until at least 2024. Although Tom Cruise’s busy schedule with these films might be inconvenient for other actors, it has brought great success to the franchise. When you combine the box office earnings of the first six films, the total exceeds $3.57 billion, with Mission Impossible: Fallout alone earning $791 million in 2018.
While none of the Mission Impossible movies have made it to the Top 50 Greatest Hits of All Time, each new installment has outperformed its predecessor, except for Mission Impossible 3. The franchise constantly pushes the boundaries by incorporating more awe-inspiring stunts, most of which are performed by Tom Cruise himself. Despite the challenges faced by Hollywood insurers, Tom Cruise believes that immersing himself in these stunts is the key to authenticity and fully embracing his characters’ experiences.
One remarkable stunt in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning has been featured extensively in the trailers. It shows Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle before deploying a parachute. To prepare for this sequence, Cruise trained for a year, engaging in numerous jumps and motocross sessions. In total, he completed more than 500 parachute jumps, an impressive feat even for an experienced instructor.
A Success, but Far from the Expected Level
Despite the excitement generated by the Mission Impossible franchise, the latest film, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, has not met the anticipated level of success achieved by its predecessors, Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout. In the US market, it has generated only $151 million, and globally, it has earned $493 million. While these numbers surpass the earnings of the first Mission Impossible film and Mission Impossible 3, they still fall significantly behind Mission Impossible 2, with its $546 million worldwide box office revenue. Moreover, it is far from the outstanding success of Mission Impossible: Fallout.
Released almost a month ago, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is unlikely to catch up with its predecessors in terms of box office performance. This is disappointing news, considering that the film had a budget estimated at $291 million, surpassing the $178 million budget of Mission Impossible: Fallout. Although it may not be considered a failure, it remains a genuine disappointment for the cast and production team, who had high hopes for the film and received positive feedback from critics and audiences alike.
