Box Office: Cannes premiere, IMAX push, global tour and more; Tom Cruise pulls out all stops for Final Reckoning after Dead Reckoning's sorry run

Tom Cruise is pulling out all the stops to ensure Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning gets the sendoff it needs. Following a lukewarm performance by Dead Reckoning in 2023, the actor is now doubling down on global promotion using his star power. His campaign reached Cannes this week, where Final Reckoning will premiere in a couple of hours from now.

Further, Cruise is expected to completely dominate the spotlight, not just by walking the red carpet but by turning the entire press tour into a blockbuster of its own.

In recent weeks, the 62-year-old actor has scaled the BFI IMAX theater in London, jumped out of a helicopter with a strapped camera, and even participated in a TikTok interview, a rare move for a star of his generation. These stunts aren’t just flashy; they reflect Cruise’s deep personal investment in the franchise he’s helped shape across nearly three decades.

Final Reckoning represents more than just another sequel — it’s the conclusion of a legacy. Cruise produced the first Mission: Impossible film in 1996, and since then, the franchise has become a household name synonymous with his daredevil image.

“He’s done a social media campaign like I’ve never seen,” said Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, per Variety. “This movie is the cinematic equivalent of the biggest ride at the theme park.”

This time, Cruise is especially focused on positioning the film as a theatrical event, best experienced on IMAX and premium formats. He’s capitalizing on audiences’ growing interest in screen types, a trend accelerated by films like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which sparked curiosity with its visual canvas.

But the stakes are undeniably high. Dead Reckoning cost nearly USD 300 million to produce and raked in just over USD 570 million globally, underwhelming against expectations. Despite being the top-grossing Mission: Impossible title internationally (excluding China), it fell short domestically. Reports suggest that Final Reckoning could be even more expensive, with estimates nearing USD 400 million.

While earlier narratives suggested the two most recent installments were filmed concurrently, insiders now say they were shot consecutively. Paramount, either way, remains optimistic, believing Final Reckoning will surpass its predecessors both critically and commercially.

A successful Cannes debut could restore the franchise’s box office dominance and give Cruise the farewell he’s clearly fighting for, not just as Ethan Hunt, but as a cinematic icon charging toward one final impossible mission.

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