Mission: Impossible 8 faces delays, skyrocketing budget & on‑set drama

The Mission: Impossible film series will soon celebrate its 30th anniversary. However, there are no signs it will end anytime soon. Work is underway on the eighth installment, and, as reported by foreign media, there are issues. Progress is delayed due to a failure of a key machine, and the budget has already ballooned to gargantuan proportions.

It all started in 1996 when Tom Cruise first took on the role of Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent falsely accused of treason, who must identify the real spy to prove his innocence in Brian De Palma's film. Over the subsequent years, directors of the next installments included John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Brad Bird. The last three installments of the hit series have been directed by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects," "Top Gun: Maverick"), who is now also working on the eighth chapter.

Despite the initially unsatisfactory result of the seventh film (it earned "only" $78 million on its opening weekend when at least $90 million was expected), "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1" ultimately did quite well in theaters. However, a profit of over $567.5 million couldn't entirely offset the enormous budget ($290 million). Another high-budget production was supposed to rescue it. For now, however, there are only problems.

According to foreign media reports, there was a stabilizer failure while filming a costly $25 million underwater scene. The machine meant to support the structure couldn't handle the load. Now, repair is necessary, which, of course, requires time. And as we know, time is money, especially on a film set.

Moreover, the creation of the eighth installment is already significantly delayed due to last year's strikes by actors and writers. Before the strikes began, only 40% of the footage was shot, supposedly the more accessible material to film. No wonder tensions are high. Adding fuel to the fire is the conflict between the central star, Tom Cruise, and the Paramount leadership, who are frustrated with the ever-increasing budget. It is now reportedly around $400 million. This puts it close to the record set by another record holder, "Gladiator 2," which will be released in November this year.

The premiere of the eighth part of "Mission: Impossible" (the title is not known yet; it will not be a continuation of "Dead Reckoning – Part 1") is expected in May 2025. The series' latest installment is available on the SkyShowtime platform or for additional rental on Amazon Prime Video, Player, Apple TV+, and Canal+ Online.