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Last summer's "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" carried a distinct air of a grand finale, both in its on-screen narrative and off-screen promotional buzz. Yet, star and producer Tom Cruise has consistently sidestepped direct questions about the franchise's conclusion, ambiguously telling audiences to wait and see. New rumors suggest Cruise isn't ready to call it quits just yet.
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According to a report yesterday from the entertainment gossip account DeuxMoi, "Mission: Impossible 9" is already in development. Cruise has reportedly approached award-winning director Chloé Zhao, known for "Eternals," to helm the ninth installment as both writer and director. Sources indicate that the duo has already completed a story treatment and is now working on the formal script.
Zhao's experience with large-scale commercial blockbusters is limited, primarily to Marvel's "Eternals," which garnered extremely divisive reviews and a less-than-ideal box office performance. Should Cruise indeed tap her to take over "Mission: Impossible 9," it could prove challenging to regain audience confidence in the franchise. "Dead Reckoning Part One" itself faced similarly polarized reception and struggled to break even due to its high production costs, placing the series at a critical juncture requiring a resurgence.