Following his work on 2012’s action flick Jack Reacher, celebrated director/writer Christopher McQuarrie has graduated to the big leagues and is currently attached to direct Mission: Impossible 5. And today, Deadline is reporting that Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have a potential villain between their crosshairs.
The man in question is British actor Sean Harris, who is currently in negotiations for the role. Harris was last seen as Fifield in Ridley Scott’s underwhelming prequel Prometheus, and is widely known for his role on historical-fiction drama, The Borgias.
At this stage, it’s too early to tell whether Harris will land the role of the overarching nemesis in Mission: Impossible 5, as he’s only in negotiations and hasn’t officially signed on just yet. Nevertheless, it’s assumed that Tom Cruise will choose to accept the mission once again and reprise his role as leading man Ethan Hunt, with Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg also all expected to return. There’s been word of Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson possibly joining the film as well, but like Harris, they are unconfirmed at the moment.
And while many are starting to question the longevity of the franchise itself, it’s easy to forget that Ghost Protocol managed to accumulate close to $700 million at the box office despite being largely met with indifference from the fans. So, it’ll be interesting to see where McQuarrie takes the franchise for its fifth numerical iteration.
We’ll keep you updated regarding Harris’ potential role in Mission: Impossible 5, but in the meantime, let us know your preliminary thoughts on this purported casting in the comments section below.