Following nearly three decades of gravity-defying stunts, explosive missions, and double-crosses, Mission: Impossible 8- The Final Reckoning is poised to bring the saga to a close with its longest movie to date. Paramount Pictures has officially announced that the next instalment will clock in at 2 hours and 49 minutes, tying the franchise’s longest film—and one of the longest films of Tom Cruise’s storied career.
A Final Reckoning in Every Sense
This eighth installment of the classic spy-action franchise is not only being treated as a sequel to Dead Reckoning, but as a standalone finale in itself. Although initially promoted as part two of the seventh film, The Final Reckoning is now being marketed as the sweeping conclusion to Ethan Hunt’s saga. From the teasers to the slogan—“Trust him one last time”—everything indicates that this may be Cruise’s goodbye to the franchise that changed modern action films.
Cruise, who is now in his early 60s, continues to do his own death-defying stunts, a signature that has kept the audience engaged for years. Director Christopher McQuarrie comes back to direct the project, reportedly leaving nothing to the cutting room floor to give a satisfying farewell. From references to Mission: Impossible 3 to wrapping up long-pending narrative threads, this film will be wrapping up several character arcs and storylines.
A Record-Setting Runtime
Before this, the longest in the series was Dead Reckoning at 2 hours and 43 minutes. Now, with The Final Reckoning pushing past that by six minutes, fans should be in for an engaging, potentially draining, but definitely exhilarating movie experience. Although Cruise’s Magnolia remains his record holder at 3 hours and 8 minutes, this new installment is close second.
Whether Mission: Impossible will go on without Cruise is a closely held secret. Paramount and the filmmakers are keeping quiet on any future beyond Mission Impossible 8, to prevent spoiling the movie’s storyline. For the moment, viewers are preparing for what might be Ethan Hunt’s final mission—and if the longer runtime and higher stakes are anything to judge by, it’s going to be a jaw-dropper.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for latest news and updates