Rumor: Cruise Wants Chloe Zhao For M:I-9?

While “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” was sold as the final film in the long-running action franchise, that may not be the case after all.

Outlet DeuxMoi, which primarily deals in celebrity gossip but has broken some major industry scoops in the past, has revealed that not only is Cruise eager to do another film, but that “Hamnet” and “Eternals” filmmaker Chloé Zhao is being sought to write and direct.

In fact, it is claimed the pair have reportedly already workshopped a treatment. For now, the report is considered pure rumor, even the outlet stating: “Please note this email was submitted anonymously and can not be verified.” Still, it certainly has stirred some talk.

The main issue with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise has been the rising costs. The second through sixth films all cost within the $125-178 million range and generated anywhere from $398-791 million worldwide.

But “Dead Reckoning” blew out to a $291 million budget and “The Final Reckoning” to a number above $300 million, but both ended up coming in notably lower than ‘Fallout’ with worldwide grosses just shy of $600 million.

There’s a general ceiling on the film’s grosses. If one can be delivered on a budget more akin to the earlier entries, and certainly if it can be sold with some sort of hook (eg. a “Logan”-style film for Ethan Hunt) it could be a possibility.