Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Release Date, Cast, And More

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The "Mission: Impossible" movies have become a true staple of the blockbuster landscape. The franchise has only grown in terms of scope, reach, and spectacle with each installment ever since it first graced the screens in 1996. Luckily, Ethan Hunt isn't done just yet as "Mission: Impossible 7" has wrapped filming and is set to be enjoyed by moviegoers around the world later this year. Despite a rough production and several delays, the seventh installment, officially titled "Dead Reckoning Part One" (yes, there is a part two) is finally headed to a theater near you this summer.

But what do we know about the upcoming Tom Cruise action flick? While the filmmakers are largely staying tight-lipped on the finer details for the time being, we're here to provide you with all of the need-to-know information to prepare you for the crazy, stunt-filled, blockbuster goods. Here is everything you need to know about "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One."

"Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" is currently set to hit theaters on July 14, 2023. The movie will be getting an exclusive theatrical release from Paramount Pictures, meaning it will not be available to stream for weeks – at least 45 days – until after it first premieres. It will eventually make its way to VOD and Paramount+ but, given how successful "Top Gun: Maverick" was, it's unlikely the studio will rush the streaming release for this one.

"Dead Reckoning Part One" is the seventh installment in the long-running "Mission: Impossible" franchise and serves as a sequel to 2018's "Mission: Impossible – Fallout." The movies are based on the original TV show of the same name. But for anyone who has been a fan of action movies for going on three decades now, it is most associated with Tom Cruise doing crazy things for the sake of our entertainment. To that end, we have been assured that it will feature the most dangerous stunt of Cruise's career, which is saying something. It involves jumping a motorcycle off of a huge ramp over a cliff. Speaking with Empire, Cruise had this to say about it:

"If the wind was too strong, it would blow me off the ramp. The helicopter [filming the stunt] was a problem, because I didn't want to be hammering down that ramp at top speed and get hit by a stone. Or if I departed in a weird way, we didn't know what was going to happen with the bike. I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don't want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that's not going to end well."

This is also just the first part in a two-part finale to the series (at least with Cruise) as its star, with "Dead Reckoning Part Two" also in the works as we speak. If all goes according to plan, this will be a big, two-movie goodbye for Ethan Hunt.

Christopher McQuarrie is returning to direct the latest installment in the series. He has become one of Tom Cruise's most trusted collaborators, having directed the previous two installments of the series, "Rogue Nation" and "Fallout." Paramount locked McQuarrie down for both "MI7" and "MI8." So more crazy action is on deck. McQuarrie also penned the screenplay. J.J. Abrams, David Ellison, and Cruise are on board as producers. Bradley J. Fischer and Brian Oliver are set as executive producers. Lorne Balfe is returning to handle the movie's score, with Fraser Taggart serving as cinematographer.

Tom Cruise leads the cast once again as Ethan Hunt. Other returning cast members include Simon Pegg (Benji Dunn), Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa Faust), Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), and Vanessa Kirby (The White Widow). 

Additionally, Henry Czerny will return as Eugene Kittridge (seen above), having originally appeared in the first "Mission: Impossible." Newcomers include Hayley Atwell ("Agent Carter"), Pom Klementieff ("Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"), Cary Elwes ("Saw"), Indira Varma ("Rome"), Shea Whigham ("Boardwalk Empire"), Esai Morales ("Arrow"), and Rob Delaney ("Deadpool 2").

As of this writing, the MPAA has not given the movie an official rating. Having said that, every previous entry in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise to date has been rated PG-13. We have absolutely no reason to think that Paramount is going to push the envelope on this one enough to earn an R rating. That's probably for the best since the movie carries a budget said to be near $300 million, so they will need every audience member they can get to help make that money back.

The seventh installment in the series has been delayed several times over the years. That was, in no small part, due to the pandemic, which all but shut Hollywood down entirely for months. But "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning" pretty much "wrote the book" on Covid protocols in the industry as one of the first major productions to soldier on during the pandemic. Though it didn't all go smoothly. Tom Cruise famously cursed out several crew members after some of those Covid protocols were breached. Though the actor did stand by his words saying later in an interview, "I said what I said. There was a lot at stake at that point."

There was also some controversy that erupted when it was reported that the production was going to blow up a bridge that was more than 100 years old in Poland. However, Christopher McQuarrie later addressed the situation, clarifying that they worked with the country's government to help demolish portions of a bridge that were deemed unsafe and needed to be cleared anyhow. "It was understood that we could only destroy the already unsafe portions of the bridge that needed to be rebuilt, and not the original stone pilings at either end, upon which a new bridge could one day be constructed," McQuarrie clarified. 

Needless to say, it has been a rough, long production with plenty of hurdles along the way.

While fans will ultimately have had to wait five years between "Fallout" and "Dead Reckoning Part One," Paramount has no intention of making audiences wait nearly that long for the supposed final entry in the series. "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two" is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 28, 2024, just shy of one year after the first part graces the silver screen. Buckle up.

Those looking to do a little catching up ahead of the latest entry in the series will have an easy time doing so, as the movies are all streaming in one place. "Mission: Impossible," "Mission: Impossible 2," "Mission: Impossible III," "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation," and "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" are all currently streaming on Paramount+. So with one subscription, you can watch all six of Ethan Hunt's prior adventures. Additionally, for those who are still interested in physical media, there are plenty of individual Blu-ray/DVD options, as well as box sets available through Amazon and other retailers.

Paramount has released a full-length teaser trailer "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," which you can check out for yourself above. It is very action packed and full of both new and returning characters, though it is keeping many of the story details locked up tight. To that end, we do not yet have an official synopsis for the film, though that will likely be revealed a little closer to the actual release date.