‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part 1’ Sprinting Toward Franchise

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One is tracking for a franchise-best opening in the $90 million range at the domestic box office in its first five days, a huge start for the July tentpole. And there’s plenty of upside, according to polling.

Cruise is in Europe this week for the Rome and London premieres of the movie. The Paramount and Skydance film begins opening in cinemas across the globe three weeks from now, including Wednesday, July 12, in North America. The $90 million projection includes a three-day weekend estimate of $65 million or more.

The latest installment in the famous action franchise is expected to be another win for Cruise after Paramount and Skydance blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed nearly $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office last year despite ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. Box office pundits believe moviegoers view the new Mission: Impossible pic as a sort-of spiritual sequel to Maverick, even though the two movies aren’t part of the same franchise.

In terms of the Mission series, 2018’s Mission: Impossible — Fallout holds the record for top three-day weekend opening ($61.2 million) at the domestic box office, followed by 2000’s Mission: Impossible II ($57.8 million), 2015’s Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation ($55.5 million), 2006’s Mission: Impossible III ($47.7 million), 1996’s Mission: Impossible ($45.4 million) and 2011’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ($12.8 million), not adjusted for inflation.

Cruise is a favorite of cinema owners for promoting theatrical over streaming. His was also lauded by Steven Spielberg for his efforts. “You saved Hollywood’s ass, and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” Spielberg told Cruise during a private exchange at the 2023 Oscars luncheon that a bystander captured on video. “Seriously, Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”

Dead Reckoning, Part One is directed by Cruise good-luck charm Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed the star in a number of his films. McQuarrie also helms Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part Two, which is set to open June 28, 2024.

Footage screened at CinemaCon in late April included an inventive chase scene in which Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is handcuffed to Hayley Atwell’s Grace as they flee police and multiple factions of people who want them, most notably a character played by Pom Klementieff, whose most frightening feature is how much she seems to enjoy the chase and its ensuing mayhem.

In years past, Cruise debuted stunts from previous movies, such as hanging from the side of a plane, skydiving or jumping a motorbike off a cliff in Norway.

Other stars in Dead Reckoning include Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett, Cary Elwes, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney and Charles Parnell.