It’s one of those quiet stories that goes under the radar, but when Mission: Impossible 6 comes out in 2017, that’ll make it a 21 year old franchise. Tom Cruise will have played Ethan Hunt for far longer than any actor has ever been James Bond, and he’ll be able to look over at Hugh Jackman and say, “What? You stopped playing Wolverine after only 17 years? Lightweight.” Yes, the Mission: Impossible series, with its penchant for quasi-rebooting itself with different directors tackling their respective installments with their own unique flare, has quietly become one of the most dependable staples in Hollywood.

That’s no easy task when you have a star that’s been as embattled as Cruise has been at times, and when you share a Hollywood landscape where everyone has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to rebooting and resetting franchises. 

While, at one point, the status of Mission: Impossible 6 was in question over a pay dispute (hey, keeping Cruise onboard ain’t cheap!), it now looks like production is set to kick off a little later this year and locations are already being scouted. According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Christopher McQuarrie is looking at Paris, France as a potential location.

Might we see Hunt doing some sort of insane stunt on the side of the Eiffel? Why not? Cruise is certifiably insane and does most of his own stunts, so I’m sure it’s come up.

What’s notable about M:I 6 is that it’ll be the first time a director has ever come back for another go-around. Past directors Brian De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Brad Bird were all one-and-done. McQuarrie handled Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, andwill be back for its follow-up. Cruise clearly likes McQuarrie, since the two have now collaborated on several films- including Jack Reacher, Valkyrie, and Edge of Tomorrow. McQuarrie has shown himself to be an invaluable asset, both as a director and as a writer, so good for him that he’s been brought back. 

Mission: Impossible 6 is set to come out on July 27, 2018.

SOURCE: THR