Although Mission: Impossible began life as a TV series, the franchise won’t be returning to the small screen anytime soon, at least not so long as Tom Cruise has anything to say about it.
Since the release of the first Mission: Impossible movie nearly thirty years ago, the franchise has become a staple of the big screen. With each sequel providing bigger and bigger thrills as Tom Cruise risks life and limb, it’s hard to imagine Mission: Impossible ditching that for a TV budget. To be fair, TV shows with a decent budget can do a hell of a lot these days but Tom Cruise remains a stalwart defender of the cinematic experience. In a recent Tom Cruise feature article over at THR was a brief mention of Paramount approaching Tom Cruise about developing a Mission: Impossible TV series for the Paramount+ streaming service, but Cruise shot the idea down as well as one for a Days of Thunder series.
There’s no word on what the concept for Mission: Impossible TV series would have been or exactly why Tom Cruise vetoed it, but it would have been interesting to have seen the franchise go back to its small screen roots. It may be something Paramount returns to at a later date as the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 are reportedly said to serve as a “sendoff for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt character” as well as the “culmination” of the entire series.
The report also mentions that Tom Cruise is planning on fighting Paramount’s plan to release Mission: Impossible 7 on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical release. The actor was said to be “furious” when Paramount informed him of their plans, arguing that setting a streaming date would discourage people from seeing the movie in theaters. An agreement between the studio and the star hasn’t been reached yet with the pair mutually agreeing to postpone the argument until after Mission: Impossible 7 is complete. A giant movie studio vs a giant movie star? I don’t know who I’d bet on.
Would you like to see a Mission: Impossible TV series?