Public interest in the Tom Cruise-anchored Mission: Impossible franchise had started to wane after the lackluster second installment, but 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol did a tremendous job of breathing new life into the blockbuster series by bringing in The Incredibles director Brad Bird and introducing appealing characters played by Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton. So, now that casting for Mission: Impossible 5 is finally getting under way, we’re definitely interested in who’s joining Cruise’s super-spy Ethan Hunt for his next adventure.
Luckily for fans, the main cast of Ghost Protocol, including Renner, Patton and Simon Pegg, is returning, and today brings news that two more terrific actors have been brought into the fold. Deadline reports that 30 Rock alum Alec Baldwin, who previously played another iconic spook in Tom Clancy adaptation The Hunt for Red October, is circling a role in the film, while Variety is reporting that Rebecca Ferguson (Starz miniseries The White Queen) is nearing a deal to play the female lead.
If he comes aboard, Baldwin will portray the head of the CIA, who oversees the division Hunt is a part of in Mission: Impossible 5. His part is said to be similar to that of Laurence Fishburne in Mission: Impossible III.
Meanwhile, Ferguson’s role is being kept under wraps, but it’s rumored that she’ll be playing an assassin of some sort. Unfortunately, Ferguson joining the film means that the role previously offered to Jessica Chastain is now filled. Word is that Ferguson possesses the “type of athletic look” Cruise and the producers want for the part, and her schedule is much more open than Chastain’s. And it will have to be – the producers want her to start training immediately and work all the way through filming, which is scheduled to start in August and wrap up in January.
This time around, Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie is taking the reins from Bird, with Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) on screenwriting duties.
It’s exciting to see two talented actors like Baldwin and Ferguson come aboard. Personally, I’m a little worried that Baldwin’s star power could distract me from his character, but Ferguson feels like a great fit for the role of a femme fatale.
We’ll keep you posted as more news on this blockbuster emerges. Mission: Impossible 5 will be accepted in theaters on December 25th, 2015.