Next ‘Mission: Impossible’ Delayed a Year as Actors Strike Drags On  

Tom Cruise attends the premiere of "Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning - Part One" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, July 10, 2023, in New York. (AP)
Tom Cruise attends the premiere of "Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning - Part One" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, July 10, 2023, in New York. (AP)
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Next ‘Mission: Impossible’ Delayed a Year as Actors Strike Drags On  

Tom Cruise attends the premiere of "Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning - Part One" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, July 10, 2023, in New York. (AP)
Tom Cruise attends the premiere of "Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning - Part One" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, July 10, 2023, in New York. (AP)

The eighth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise has been postponed a year, signaling a new wave of release schedule juggling for Hollywood studios as the actors strike surpasses three months of work stoppage.

Paramount Pictures on Monday shifted the release date of the next “Mission: Impossible” from June 28 to May 23, 2025. Production on the follow-up to Christopher McQuarrie's “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” was paused in July while Tom Cruise and company embarked on an international promotion blitz for “Dead Reckoning.” (The sequel had been titled “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two” but is now simply listed currently as “Mission: Impossible.”)

“Dead Reckoning” ultimately grossed $567.5 million worldwide, falling shy of 2018 installment “Fallout” ($791.7 million globally) and the heady highs of Cruise's summer 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” ($1.5 billion). The 163-minute-long action thriller, drew some of the best reviews of the 27-year-old movie franchise, but was quickly eclipsed by the box-office juggernauts of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

As Hollywood's labor turmoil has continued, it's increasingly upended release plans not just for movies this fall that want to wait until their stars can promote them (like “Dune: Part Two,” postponed to March), but some of next year's top big-screen attractions.

A string of Marvel movies have previously shifted back, as did the third “Venom” film. “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” has been delayed indefinitely after being dated for March 2024.

Paramount also announced Monday that “A Quiet Place: Day One,” a prequel to the post-apocalyptic horror series starring Lupita Nyong’o, will have its release pushed from March to when “Dead Reckoning” had been scheduled to open, on June 28.

Negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the studios are scheduled to resume Tuesday.



Saudi Film Commission Participates in South Korea’s Busan Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission logo
The Saudi Film Commission logo
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Saudi Film Commission Participates in South Korea’s Busan Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission logo
The Saudi Film Commission logo

The Saudi Film Commission announced its participation in the prestigious Busan International Film Festival 2024, taking place from October 2-11 in Busan, South Korea.

As one of Asia's most prominent film festivals and a key global film market, the festival showcases a variety of narrative and documentary films. The festival is also known for discovering and promoting emerging talents from Asia.

The Film Commission’s participation aims to foster stronger cultural and cinematic ties between Saudi Arabia and South Korea while promoting creative collaboration. It will highlight Saudi Arabia as a prime location for film production, showcase the commission’s diverse programs, promote Saudi talents and films, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge in the global film industry.

The Film Commission will host a dedicated pavilion at the festival on October 5-8 featuring a Saudi delegation of partners from the Kingdom’s film sector. The presence will serve to build sustainable relationships with South Korean film industry leaders and facilitate collaboration in film production and distribution. Furthermore, the pavilion will act as a networking hub, enabling the commission to strengthen connections with international film industry experts attending the festival.

Through its participation in the Busan International Film Festival 2024, the Film Commission seeks to highlight Saudi Arabia’s growing role in the global cinematic landscape, position the Kingdom as an attractive destination for film production, and demonstrate its ongoing commitment to participating in major international film events. By establishing strategic partnerships with global entities, the commission continues to enhance Saudi Arabia’s stature in the world of film.