14 DAY TRIAL // Jeremy Renner was supposed to take over from Tom Cruise and carry the “Mission: Impossible” franchise on his own, but given his comeback as a solid action movie star, that won’t be happening anymore.
So he’s coming back for a fifth installment, but the good news is that Renner too is coming back for another round so, even if he’s not exactly taking over from him as lead, at least he gets another chance to make an impression.
Alec Baldwin will also be joining the team: Deadline confirms that he’s been approached for the role of a high-ranking CIA officer who will be overseeing Ethan Hunt’s division, a character similar to the one played by Laurence Fishburne in the third installment in the franchise.
Baldwin can play amazing boss types, so he should be a delight to watch if he does sign on the dotted line.
Another actor who is now in negotiations for a role in the film is newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, who is being offered the female lead, Variety says. No details about the character have been made public just yet, but the trade publication notes she’ll play some sort of “assassin.”
Jessica Chastain was initially considered for the role, but Ferguson is Cruise’s number one choice, one that director Chris McQuarrie also backs up.
The film is based off a script by Drew Pearce and is now in the early stages of pre-production. A tentative release date is set for 2015.