When Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opened last year, it was widely deemed a financial disappointment, even after earning $570.6 million worldwide (unfortunately, it severely underperformed domestically).
Not helping matters, of course, was the fact its budget ballooned to a reported $291 million, a staggering sum which is thought to have done irreparable damage to Tom Cruise's relationship with Paramount Pictures.
The studio dropped the "Dead Reckoning Part Two" subtitle from the sequel a while ago - likely to distance Mission: Impossible 8 from its predecessor - and we now know that it's instead going to be called Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
That was revealed on a cool new poster which has since been accompanied by an emotional teaser trailer reflecting on Tom Cruise's incredible legacy as Ethan Hunt. There's plenty of action-packed footage from this instalment too, as we see the action star perform one of his patented daredevil stunts by hanging onto the side of another plane.
It was recently reported that Cruise isn't on board with Paramount promoting Mission: Impossible 8 as the final instalment because he wants to leave the door open to playing Ethan again rather than treating this as a goodbye. However, based on this sneak peek, it feels like we might finally be saying goodbye to the Impossible Mission Force stalwart.
Rumour has it Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning's budget has rocketed to $400 million amid various production delays, largely caused by last year's Hollywood strikes. That's going to make it one of the most expensive blockbusters ever made.
"Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," reads the brief synopsis for the movie released today.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, and Frederick Schmidt.
Check out the new trailer and poster below (via ActioNewz.com).