Tom Cruise reportedly doubles down on Mission Impossible 8 despite past setbacks.

In a daring move that has Hollywood buzzing, Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise is gearing up for its eighth installment with a budget that’s set to break records. Despite facing a significant loss in its previous outing, the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8 is poised to spend as much as DC’s Justice League, to become one of the top 10 most expensive movies ever made.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Paramount Pictures

After Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One earned around $523M at the box office, Tom Cruise’s next installment seems to be going even bigger with its budget, unfazed by its predecessor’s estimated $200M loss in its theatrical run. While Cruise seems undeterred, despite the setbacks and financial strain faced by Dead Reckoning Part One, fans and critics appear divided over the decision.

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 8 Set to Spend as Much as Justice League

The budget for Tom Cruise‘s upcoming highly anticipated Mission: Impossible 8 has reportedly reached an unrealistic height. With the forthcoming eighth installment in the franchise, set to be a follow-up on 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the movie is said to be involved in a lengthy production process leading to delays and an outrageous budget.

According to reports from Matt Belloni of Puck News, despite Dead Reckoning Part One‘s super expensive budget causing it to earn around $567M worldwide while losing more than $200M in its theatrical run, Tom Cruise’s upcoming installment is still hoping to take the daring risk. Despite facing financial downfall, Cruise and his team appear to have opted to double down instead, aiming to reclaim their place at the top of the box office.

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) | Paramount Pictures

Running well over $300M, Mission: Impossible 8 is deemed to be nearing a $400M production budget, which is set to overtake even DC’s 2017 iteration of Justice League. Well, according to Collider’s top 10 most expensive films, Justice League ended up being on the list, due to a shift in directorial responsibilities from Zack Snyder to Joss Whedon, who effectively reshot the entire film to regain the franchise’s reputation after Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’s critical failure.

A still from Justice League (2017) | Warner Bros

Mission: Impossible 8 restarted production in March 2024, after 2023 Hollywood strikes paused shooting from mid-July. Apart from this particular delay, Puck News reported the bad luck that struck Tom Cruise’s film, as it was allegedly delayed once again due to a malfunction with a $25M submarine. Director Christopher McQuarrie reflected on how the delays and production issues caused the rise in budget.

Fans and Critics are Divided Over Mission: Impossible 8’s Ballooning Budget

Meanwhile, considering the reports shared by renowned media outlets, regarding the gradual rise in the production budget of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 8, fans and critics appear stunned by it. As the decision comes amidst a backdrop of uncertainty in Hollywood, given Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’s box office failure and the struggles faced by mega-budget productions like Justice League, fans criticize the audacious financial decision.

While Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie remain undeterred about the production budget, insisting that Mission Impossible 8 will deliver thrills and spectacle on an unprecedented scale, fans appear concerned about the level of disaster the movie might face, in case it tanks at the box office. The possibility of failure for the upcoming movie seems sky-high, considering the way its predecessor stumbled on theaters, worldwide.

Since Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise has a history of defying expectations, while simultaneously delivering heart-pounding entertainment that resonates globally, fans appear conflicted by the production budget. While cautioning against the risks involved, a few netizens also appear to commend Cruise’s confidence in the project. But as production ramps up and details emerge, anxiety rises surrounding Mission Impossible 8 to see if it surpasses its predecessor and justifies its colossal budget.