57 Facts About the Mission: Impossible Movies

1. The first “Mission: Impossible” movie was released in 1996.
2. The series was originally a popular television show that aired from 1966 to 1973.
3. Tom Cruise has played the lead role, Ethan Hunt, in every “Mission: Impossible” movie.
4. Brian De Palma directed the first “Mission: Impossible” film.
5. John Woo, known for his stylish action sequences, directed “Mission: Impossible II.”
6. J.J. Abrams directed “Mission: Impossible III.” He also produced several other films in the series.
7. The iconic “Mission: Impossible” theme was composed by Lalo Schifrin for the original TV series.
8. Tom Cruise is known for performing many of his own stunts in the series.
9. Cruise’s climbing sequence in “Mission: Impossible II” was performed without a stunt double.
10. The famous scene in the first film where Ethan Hunt drops from the ceiling and hovers inches above the ground was inspired by a similar scene in the 1955 French film “Rififi.”
11. In “Mission: Impossible III,” Philip Seymour Hoffman played the villain.
12. “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” was partially filmed in Dubai.
13. The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, features prominently in “Ghost Protocol.”
14. “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” and “Fallout” were directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
15. “Rogue Nation” introduced the character Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who has since been a mainstay of the series.
16. The “Mission: Impossible” films are produced by Paramount Pictures.
17. Ving Rhames, who plays Luther Stickell, is the only actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all six movies to date.
18. Simon Pegg, who plays Benji Dunn, was introduced to the series in “Mission: Impossible III.”
19. Henry Czerny returned as Eugene Kittridge in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” after last appearing in the first film.
20. Michelle Monaghan plays Julia Meade, Ethan Hunt’s wife, first introduced in “Mission: Impossible III.”
21. “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” was initially intended to introduce a new younger agent (Jeremy Renner as William Brandt) to replace Tom Cruise, but the plan was later abandoned.
22. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is the first film in the series to be a direct sequel to its predecessor.
23. Vanessa Kirby was introduced as the White Widow, a descendant of the arms dealer Max from the first film, in “Fallout.”
24. The character Ethan Hunt was a creation of the original TV series.
25. Despite the series’ title, the word “impossible” is rarely mentioned in the films.
26. Tom Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt for “Fallout,” delaying production.
27. In “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” Cruise held his breath for six minutes to film an underwater sequence.
28. The “Mission: Impossible” films have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion worldwide.
29. Each “Mission: Impossible” film has a different director up until “Rogue Nation.”
30. The third movie is the only one where Ethan Hunt is seen with a full beard.
31. The signature line, “Should you choose to accept it,” originates from the TV series.
32. The first “Mission: Impossible” movie was also the first film produced by Cruise’s production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions.
33. The character of Ethan Hunt is not based on any specific character from the original series.
34. Despite the dangerous nature of his stunts, Tom Cruise has said that his insurance company does not prevent him from performing them.
35. The motorcycle chase scene in “Rogue Nation” was performed by Tom Cruise without a helmet, for which the production had to get special permission due to safety laws.
36. The helicopter chase in “Fallout” was performed by Cruise, who trained extensively to be able to fly the helicopter himself.
37. Director Brian De Palma came up with the iconic train-helicopter sequence in the first film.
38. Thandie Newton, who plays Nyah Nordoff-Hall in “Mission: Impossible II,” was initially set to return in the third film but was written out.
39. The character Claire Phelps, played by Emmanuelle Béart in the first film, was the team’s sole survivor other than Ethan Hunt.
40. “Fallout” is the highest-grossing film in the series to date.
41. Despite being a spy series, none of the “Mission: Impossible” films have dealt with the Cold War, a common theme in spy media.
42. The main theme of the series was remixed by U2 members Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton for the first film.
43. The production of “Mission: Impossible II” was delayed because Tom Cruise was working on Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.”
44. “Mission: Impossible II” is the only film in the series where Ethan Hunt operates as a lone agent for the majority of the film.
45. Anthony Hopkins makes a brief appearance as the IMF Director in “Mission: Impossible II.”
46. Laurence Fishburne plays IMF Director Theodore Brassel in “Mission: Impossible III.”
47. “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” features a cameo from Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor.
48. The character Franz Krieger, played by Jean Reno in the first film, was originally intended to return in “Ghost Protocol.”
49. The Apple Store scene in “Ghost Protocol” was filmed at an actual Apple Store in Prague.
50. The fifth and sixth films (“Rogue Nation” and “Fallout”) were shot in 2.39:1 aspect ratio, making them the only films in the series to be shot in this format.
51. “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” marked the first time in the series that Ethan Hunt’s character is arrested.
52. Alec Baldwin plays the character Alan Hunley, the head of the CIA, in “Rogue Nation” and “Fallout.”
53. The HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump scene in “Fallout” required Tom Cruise to perform the stunt 106 times to capture the perfect shot.
54. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is the first film in the series to be released in RealD 3D.
55. In “Fallout,” August Walker, played by Henry Cavill, became one of the series’ most memorable villains due to his intense fight scenes with Ethan Hunt.
56. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, two more “Mission: Impossible” films are planned, with Christopher McQuarrie set to return as director.
57. The seventh film in the series was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is set for release in 2022.

Originally posted 2023-09-12 20:28:44.

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