From the Official www.TomCruise.com Blog:
Tom Cruise will return as superagent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible IV, but a director has not been chosen yet. For those of you hoping for J.J. Abrams to return to the director’s chair (he directed Mission: Impossible III), sorry—he’s only executive producing this time around.
So, who will helm the latest installment of this mega-franchise? No one knows as of yet. But we thought we’d take a look at the past three directors and examine the differences in their filmmaking styles:
Mission: Impossible: Brian De Palma
Known for his psychological thrillers like Carrie and Dressed to Kill, as well as graphic violence in gangster films like Scarface, The Untouchables, and Carlito’s Way, De Palma is often considered to be a member of “New Hollywood” generation of directors along with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola. In Mission: Impossible, De Palma made sure to kick off the franchise with lots of over-the-top action and explosions, including helicopters flying in train tunnels and a restaurant fish tank explosion.
Mission: Impossible II: John Woo
Hailing from Hong Kong, Woo’s highly stylized action sequences and slow motion fight scenes are usually prevalent in his action films like A Better Tomorrow, Once a Thief, and Face/Off. There was certainly no shortage of ass-kicking in the second installment, as Woo made sure to include amazing fights, gun play, and a high-adreneline motorcycle chase, not to mention one of Woo’s signatures – white doves.
Mission: Impossible III: J.J. Abrams
Abrams came from the world of television, where he created and produced TV hits like Felicity, Alias, and Lost. After watching DVDs of Alias, Cruise contacted Abrams and asked him to work on MI:3. It was Abrams’ first time directing a feature-length film, but it included all the plot twists, intrigue, and mystery that his work is known for, plus an ensemble cast and a great heist scene in Vatican City, complete with a blown up Lamborghini and speedboat getaway.
Although the job is very much up in the air, we are curious to know what YOU think. Which director has the right combination of smarts, intrigue and action sequence know-how to deliver another knockout installment of M:I?
Much like when we asked you who would make a great leading lady for M:I4, let us know who you think would fit best in the directors chair, should you choose to accept this mission. We’d like you to think of your dream director for the next Mission – who do you want to see in the director’s chair, shooting car chases, explosions, fight sequences, and everything else it takes to create an action-packed summer blockbuster? Let us know on Twitter. Or on our Facebook fan page. Or right here on the Official Tom Cruise Blog! Sound off in the comments below!
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