MOVIE NEWS – Mission: Impossible 7 (officially titled “Dead Reckoning – Part One”) will be the longest instalment in the Tom Cruise-led franchise to date.

Mission: Impossible 7, aka Dead Reckoning – Part One, has been announced. To our surprise, it turns out to be the longest episode ever. In what is expected to be the first part of the franchise’s two-part finale, IMF agent Tom Cruise sets out on his most dangerous mission yet as Ethan Hunt to find a dangerous new weapon before it falls into the hands of Gabriel (Esai Morales), the ghost of Ethan’s past. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson return as the usual team of agents. Pom Klementieff appears as a secondary villain.

And now, ahead of Mission: Impossible 7’s summer release date, the game’s release date has been revealed via an IGN exclusive. The first part of Dead Reckoning will last a total of two hours and 36 minutes, excluding the credits. This will make it the longest film in the franchise since the previous instalment, surpassing Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s two hours and 27 minutes.

The running time for Dead Reckoning – Part One has been the subject of speculation ever since Paramount Global boss Bob Bakish deemed the film “too long” after an early Mission: Impossible 7 screening.

The running time has probably been reduced since then. But it still makes sense that it would be the longest episode yet. As the first half of what is expected to be a two-part finale, the film is tasked with introducing new characters who will play essential roles in the franchise’s endgame. In addition, Cruise’s most amazing stunts to date will be included. They certainly deserve plenty of screen time.

As a modern-day blockbuster action franchise draws to a close, the pressure is on to make each episode bigger and better. The Mission: Impossible series has been doing just that since the first episode in 1996. The first part of the countdown continues the recent trend of action franchises coming to an end. John Wick: Chapter 4, Fast X, and Indiana Jones and the Reel of Destiny all had runtimes in excess of two hours and twenty minutes. While Mission: Impossible 7 is the franchise’s longest-ever running time, Dead Reckoning – Part Two will likely beat it.

Source: IGN