‘Mission: Impossible 5′ Adds Female Lead, Possibly Adds Alec Baldwin
Things are officially kicking into high gear for the fifth instalment of action franchise Mission: Impossible, with casting negotiations now underway by Paramount and co-production outfits Skydance and Bad Robot.
While Tom Cruise will most definitely be returning in the lead as super IMF agent Ethan Hunt, with Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg also reprising their Ghost Protocol characters as part of Hunt’s crack-team of regular compadres, only one new role has been confirmed so far – but it is an important one.
Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, best known for her work as the titular matriarch in the British television series The White Queen (which saw her nab a Golden Globe nomination), has been cast as the female lead after initial studio fave Jessica Chastain passed on the role.
It is unclear which side of the moral fence Ferguson’s character will land – love interest, or potential antagonist? Considering Paula Patton will not be returning for Mission number 5, it is most likely that Ferguson will be filling out the female quota over on Team Hunt.
In other, sketchier casting news, Alec Baldwin is in talks to play a CIA higher-up, according to Deadline. Unfortunately, any more exact character details are being kept under wraps, so we can only speculate as to the shape Baldwin’s potential screentime will take.
As is the tradition with the Mission: Impossible movies thus far, a new director will be taking aim at Cruise and co. Stepping behind the camera will be Christopher McQuarrie, reuniting with Cruise after directing 2012’s Jack Reacher (another espionage-infused thriller). McQuarrie follows in the footsteps of Brian De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird.
Mission: Impossible 5 is slated for a cinematic release on December 25, 2015.
