No deal: Playing hard to get

Actor Tom Cruise wants more money for ‘Mission: Impossible 6’

A dispute over salary between Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures has halted pre-production of Mission: Impossible 6. The studio, which was co-financing the movie with Skydance Media, was in the prep stages for a January 2017 production start.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the contentious points is Cruise’s back-end profit participation, with the actor looking to match or exceed what he is getting paid by Universal for starring in The Mummy, the shooting for which is currently underway in London.

The Mummy is a pivotal movie for Universal, which is looking to launch a cinematic franchise and has hinged plenty on Cruise’s star power. This is the second hiccup this summer for Mission: Impossible 6. In July, the project was on the verge of falling apart over what one source said were script issues. That obstacle pushed a November start into the New Year.

Paramount initially wanted Mission: Impossible 6 for a late 2017 release but it is currently undated.

The most recent film in the Mission: Impossible franchise — 2015’s Rogue Nation — hauled in $195 million worldwide, as per Box Office Mojo. Ghost Protocol in 2011 ($209 million) and 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2 ($215 million) have both earned more, while 1996’s original ($181 million) and 2006’s third instalment ($134 million) made less.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.

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