# Untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film
**Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning** is a 2025 American action spy film, the eighth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise and the direct sequel to *Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One* (2023). It was directed by [Christopher McQuarrie](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-mcquarrie), written by McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen, and based on the television series created by Bruce Geller, with [Tom Cruise](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-cruise) returning as IMF agent [Ethan Hunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/ethan-hunt).[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning) • [2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) The film was developed and released under a different working title, *Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two*, before being retitled and delayed.[3](https://apnews.com/article/ffbbb788219edaa196529d02e304de81)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position in series | Eighth film; direct sequel to *Dead Reckoning Part One* (2023), concluding the story begun there[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) |
| Original title | *Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two*; delayed a year from June 28, 2024 to May 23, 2025 during the actors' strike[3](https://apnews.com/article/ffbbb788219edaa196529d02e304de81) |
| Director and writers | Christopher McQuarrie (director); McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen (writers); based on the series created by Bruce Geller[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning) |
| Plot | Two months after *Dead Reckoning*, Ethan Hunt and the IMF continue their search for the Entity, a terroristic AI that has infiltrated intelligence networks worldwide[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) |
| Runtime and rating | 169 minutes; PG-13[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning) |
| Theatrical release | May 23, 2025 (United States); premiered at Cannes on May 14, 2025[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/14/tom-cruise-biplane-mission-impossible-final-reckoning-wing-walking) |
| Box office | $197.4 million gross in the United States; about $598 million worldwide[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) • [6](https://www.movistarplus.es/comunicacion/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/resumen-de-medios-2-9-2025.pdf) |
| Reception | 80% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 428 reviews and 88% from audiences; Metascore 67 on Metacritic[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning/critic-reviews/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and cast
The story picks up two months after the events of *Dead Reckoning*. Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force continue their search for the Entity, a terroristic artificial intelligence that has infiltrated intelligence networks across the globe, while Hunt and his team are pursued by governments and ghosts from his past.[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) The film's antagonist is the Entity, an AI superpower that aims to bring about the end of civilization.[10](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/mission-impossible-movies/even-ethan-hunt-would-be-proud-of-the-way-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-was-streamed-for-free-on-youtube-and-it-involves-morse-code/)
Tom Cruise leads the cast as Ethan Hunt, with [Hayley Atwell](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayley-atwell) as Grace, Ving Rhames as [Luther Stickell](https://www.edgepedia.org/luther-stickell), Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Esai Morales as Gabriel, Pom Klementieff as Paris, Henry Czerny as Kittridge, and [Angela Bassett](https://www.edgepedia.org/angela-bassett) as Erika Sloane. The ensemble also includes Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Rolf Saxon, and Lucy Tulugarjuk.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning) • [2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4)
**Franchise connections.** McQuarrie doubled down on the interconnectedness of the series, building a narrative that draws on plot points and characters from the entire franchise, including flashbacks to the 1996 first film and a nod to Cruise's *Top Gun* movies. This turns the film into a tribute to the franchise's 30-year history.[9](https://www4.wng.org/WORLD_June2025.pdf) • [11](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-8-final-reckoning-review-tom-cruise/682921/)
## Title and development
The film was announced as the second half of a two-part story. The seventh and eighth entries were originally planned as *Dead Reckoning Part One* and *Part Two*, a two-part story intended to conclude the long-running series.[8](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1234371-mission-impossible-7-8-dead-reckoning-name/xwp_curated_content) In October 2023, [Paramount Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-pictures) shifted the release date from June 28, 2024 to May 23, 2025 as the actors' strike passed three months of work stoppage; by that point the sequel had been stripped of its subtitle and was listed simply as *Mission: Impossible*.[3](https://apnews.com/article/ffbbb788219edaa196529d02e304de81) The film was later officially titled *The Final Reckoning*.[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4)
McQuarrie has said the phrase "dead reckoning" did not apply as well to Part One as it did to Part Two until the beginning of the first film was reworked.[8](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1234371-mission-impossible-7-8-dead-reckoning-name/xwp_curated_content) The retitling also reflected the film's standing as a potential franchise finale: McQuarrie has not ruled out another installment, but the film was widely received as a sendoff for the series.[9](https://www4.wng.org/WORLD_June2025.pdf)
## Production and stunts
The film carries a reported budget of around $400 million, making it one of the most expensive films made after the COVID-19 pandemic, with industry strike delays helping to balloon the already expensive production.[12](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/02/82/93/01090/2025-05-30.pdf)
**The biplane sequence.** At the Cannes film festival premiere, McQuarrie recounted a stunt in which Cruise, walking between the two wings of a biplane mid-air over South Africa, became so physically exhausted that he could not get back up off the wing, shortly before the aircraft ran out of fuel.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/14/tom-cruise-biplane-mission-impossible-final-reckoning-wing-walking) The film's stunts also produced a record: Cruise holds the Guinness World Record for "most burning parachute jumps by an individual."[10](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/mission-impossible-movies/even-ethan-hunt-would-be-proud-of-the-way-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-was-streamed-for-free-on-youtube-and-it-involves-morse-code/)
McQuarrie told *Empire* that the hardest part of making the film was not the aerial or submarine sequences but editing the first act, which had to compress a large amount of setup into a limited runtime.[13](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/christopher-mcquarrie-reveals-hardest-thing-ever-mission-impossible-wasnt-stunt) A deleted portion of the submarine sequence, in which Ethan Hunt struggles to enter the submarine while checking his dive computer, was cut because, in McQuarrie's words, "it just didn't work."[14](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/mission-impossible-director-reveals-a-deleted-scene-from-final-reckonings-dangerous-submarine-sequence-with-tom-cruise-and-explains-why-it-didnt-make-it-into-the-film-it-just-didnt-work/)
## Release and reception
The film premiered at the Cannes film festival on May 14, 2025 and opened in the United States on May 23, 2025, achieving the franchise's highest-ever global opening according to Paramount.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/14/tom-cruise-biplane-mission-impossible-final-reckoning-wing-walking) • [2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) It grossed $197.4 million in the United States and about $598 million worldwide, including $65 million in China; this fell short of *Mission: Impossible – Fallout*, which grossed $824 million worldwide.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) • [6](https://www.movistarplus.es/comunicacion/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/resumen-de-medios-2-9-2025.pdf)
Critical response was divided on the story but broadly positive overall. The film is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 80% Tomatometer from 428 reviews and an 88% audience score; its critics consensus calls it "gargantuan in action, runtime, and scope" and "a sentimental sendoff for Ethan Hunt."[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 67, based on 39 positive, 16 mixed, and 2 negative reviews.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning/critic-reviews/) Reviewers praised the stunt work while criticizing the plotting: Peter Bradshaw of *The Guardian* called it "a wildly silly, wildly entertaining adventure," while John Powers of NPR described it as "overblown, inanely plotted, clotted with expository dialogue and boundlessly self-congratulatory. But, you know, it's also fun to watch."[7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning/critic-reviews/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) Several critics noted the film's heavy exposition and politicking at the expense of the franchise's usual gadgetry and spycraft.[15](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/entertainment/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-review)
## Home media and streaming
The film arrived on digital platforms on August 19, 2025.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning) It began streaming on [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2025, and became available exclusively on [SkyShowtime](https://www.edgepedia.org/skyshowtime) in its European markets from December 17, 2025.[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4) • [16](https://corporate.skyshowtime.com/257568-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-be-available-to-stream-exclusively-on-skyshowtime-from-17-december/) It is also available to rent or buy digitally and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning)
## References
1. [Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Paramount Pictures](https://www.paramount.com/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning)
2. [Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Will Stream on Paramount+ Starting December 4, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112123-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-stream-on-paramount-starting-december-4)
3. [Next 'Mission: Impossible' delayed a year as actors strike drags on, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ffbbb788219edaa196529d02e304de81)
4. [Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_the_final_reckoning)
5. ['We couldn't tell if he was conscious': Tom Cruise got stuck on top of biplane shooting Mission: Impossible sequel, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/14/tom-cruise-biplane-mission-impossible-final-reckoning-wing-walking)
6. [Resumen de medios (box office figures), Movistar Plus](https://www.movistarplus.es/comunicacion/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/resumen-de-medios-2-9-2025.pdf)
7. [Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning/critic-reviews/)
8. [Mission Impossible 7 & 8 Director Explains the Dead Reckoning Title, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1234371-mission-impossible-7-8-dead-reckoning-name/xwp_curated_content)
9. [Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning review, WORLD](https://www4.wng.org/WORLD_June2025.pdf)
10. [Even Ethan Hunt would be proud of the way Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning was streamed for free on YouTube, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/mission-impossible-movies/even-ethan-hunt-would-be-proud-of-the-way-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-was-streamed-for-free-on-youtube-and-it-involves-morse-code/)
11. [The Unbearable Weight of Mission: Impossible, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-8-final-reckoning-review-tom-cruise/682921/)
12. [Entertainment section, May 30, 2025 (budget report), UFDC](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/02/82/93/01090/2025-05-30.pdf)
13. [Christopher McQuarrie Reveals 'The Hardest Thing' He's Ever Had To Do For Mission: Impossible, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/christopher-mcquarrie-reveals-hardest-thing-ever-mission-impossible-wasnt-stunt)
14. [Mission: Impossible director reveals a deleted scene from Final Reckoning's dangerous submarine sequence, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/mission-impossible-director-reveals-a-deleted-scene-from-final-reckonings-dangerous-submarine-sequence-with-tom-cruise-and-explains-why-it-didnt-make-it-into-the-film-it-just-didnt-work/)
15. [Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/entertainment/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-review)
16. [Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be available to stream exclusively on SkyShowtime from 17 December, SkyShowtime Newsroom](https://corporate.skyshowtime.com/257568-mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-will-be-available-to-stream-exclusively-on-skyshowtime-from-17-december/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released 2020s and later*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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