Why is Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning split into two films?

Dead Reckoning, which is already the longest film in the saga, will not stop after its 2h40 viewing: a sequel is expected for 2024.

The output of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 fast approaching. This seventh opus, which is one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer, broke the franchise record and became the longest film in the saga (ahead of Fallout, released in 2018, which already reached 2h13)

2h40: in 2023, with this record duration, we can already say that Christopher McQuarrie, the director, had fun. And yet, it’s not over. The film represents only the first part of the story, and a mission impossible 8 kindly waits his turn. But rather than compressing everything into a single film, why did you create two different parts?

“I wanted to give each of the characters more room. So I knew the movie was going to be bigger and longer than Fallout. (…) At one point, I said to myself ‘why are we trying so hard to fit everything in two hours?’ Let’s just cut the movie in half. It wasn’t just making it bigger for free, we wanted more emotion in the film.”explained Christopher McQuarrie to Collide.

It must be said that installing emotion between all the action scenes takes time! Tom Cruise who jumps from a plane, a cliff, a train, a motorbike… Difficult to leave room for the rest. So we had to negotiate with Paramount to get a second film. Even though it required a much longer shoot during the pandemic, the studio accepted the proposal. Better, they were rather enthusiastic. “The studio was totally for it, actually. U.S. too. Sometimes we were on set, and Tom kept telling me, ‘It was your idea. Do not forget it'”added the director.

On the other hand, there is no question of being bored during the three hours of viewing, assures the chief editor, Eddie Hamilton : “Everything is paced in such a way that you are so engaged in the film that it doesn’t even cross your mind to wonder if it’s a good time for a pee break.”

mission impossible 7 hits theaters on July 12. The sequel is expected in 2024.