Tom Cruise will allegedly get more hands-on in the marketing of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning to avoid the box office outcome of the previous installment in the franchise. Cruise has famously been selective about his press opportunities in the lead up to his films, but with Mission: Impossible 7 suffering some of the worst box office returns in the lifetime of the action franchise, something needs to be done to avoid history repeating itself.
Entertainment insider Matt Belloni shared in his latest 'What I'm Hearing' newsletter that Cruise will supposedly be more involved in the press circuit for Mission: Impossible 8. Cruise recently did an exclusive interview with People magazine, which is seemingly just the start of the star's media appearances this month. Belloni noted that Cruise's publicist has "limited his press in recent years," which strictly keeps the actor speaking to outlets like Empire, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and on red carpets:
"Speaking of publicity, it’s interesting to see Tom Cruise giving an interview to People for a 'special issue' celebrating 'Mission: Impossible'. No, it’s hardly a 60 Minutes profile (the biggest news from the chat seems to be that Tom sometimes eats an insanely large breakfast), but Cruise and his publicist, Amanda Lundberg, have limited his press in recent years to U.K. movie mag Empire and… basically nothing beyond his social channels, stunts on the late Late Late Show With James Corden, and his global premiere events, where he chats with hundreds of outlets for 30 seconds apiece—nothing beyond the approved talking points."
Belloni noted that Cruise's upcoming press plans are "hardly a full-on P.R. blitz," but that following Mission: Impossible 7's underperformance, Cruise will be "a tiny bit more available" for publicity opportunities for The Final Reckoning, which includes a rare appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon:
"I’m told Cruise is set to appear on 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon' in the run-up to 'The Final Reckoning', which will premiere at Cannes on May 14 and hit theaters May 23. Cruise hasn’t done Fallon since 2018, when his 'Mad Lib Theater' bit went viral. It’s hardly a full-on P.R. blitz, but given that the most recent Mission underperformed at the box office, Cruise seems to understand he needs to be a tiny bit more available."
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and stars Cruise alongside Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Ving Rhames (although 1 cast member is surprisingly absent). It is a direct sequel to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, which saw Ethan Hunt and his team hunt down a rogue AI that threatens humanity. The eighth Mission: Impossible movie will be released in cinemas on May 23, 2025.
Is Mission: Impossible 8 In Trouble?
The Mission: Impossible franchise is one of the most well-known and profitable action franchises in history, but Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning's box office returns were the second lowest for the franchise. At that point, Paramount had already committed to a two-part "finale" for Mission: Impossible with an eighth film, so it must make a splash at the box office, whether that be to honor the finale of Cruise's franchise or to guarantee investment in further sequels.
Cruise is often considered one of the most committed actors to his movies (he told People that making movies is "not what I do. It’s who I am.") However, the actor rarely engages in extensive press tours, so this shift in strategy is seemingly an emergency procedure to help secure more ticket sales for the next Mission: Impossible movie.
Cruise was reportedly "pissed off" about Mission: Impossible 7's IMAX release strategy last year, which only had a limited run due to its proximity to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Cruise was allegedly personally calling theatre exhibitors to ask them to prioritize his movie over Nolan's, which shows the actor is not afraid to get hands-on when it comes to securing exposure for his projects.
As well as being the star, Cruise is also a producer on Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and thus has a vested interest in the movie's success. If this means a few extra press appearances are required, then there's no doubt the actor would do it to ensure that Mission: Impossible 8 doesn't fall into the same trap as the last film.
