Tom Cruise is basking in the glow of a record-breaking franchise start for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” at the box office, and he reacted to the film’s opening haul in a heartfelt letter posted on his social media pages. The combined openings of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” ($341 million) and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible” ($200 million) powered the box office to a four-day Memorial Day weekend record.
“This weekend was one for the history books!” Cruise wrote in his note. “Congratulations and thank you to every filmmaker, every artist, every crew member and every single person who works at the studios.
To every theater and every employee who helps bring these stories to audiences, thank you.”
“To everyone that works at Paramount Pictures and Skydance, thank you for your many years of partnership and unwavering support,” the actor continued. “And most of all, THANK YOU to audiences everywhere for whom we all serve and for whom we all LOVE to entertain. Sincerely, Tom.”
At the domestic box office, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” earned a series-best $63 million over the three-day weekend and an estimated $77 million through the four-day holiday. The eighth installment in Cruise’s long-running action series narrowly beat 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” ($61 million) to score the top debut of the 29-year-old franchise.
“A record opening on the eighth iteration is remarkable. It speaks to the longevity of the franchise,” Paramount’s distribution chief Chris Aronson said in a statement about the latest “Mission” opening weekend. “The spectacle of what Tom and McQ [director Christopher McQuarrie] put on screen is one-of-a-kind in today’s marketplace.”
Cruise embarked on a global press tour to promote “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” ahead of its theatrical release. The film carries a massive $400 million production budget, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made. Cruise’s press stops included a splashy French premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where the actor would not go on the record confirming whether or not “The Final Reckoning” is his last “Mission: Impossible” movie as has been speculated in the lead up to the tentpole’s release.
“I’d rather just people see it and enjoy and we’ve had an amazing time doing it and it’s been a lot of fun and I just want you all to enjoy it,” the actor said when asked about his future with the franchise. “Enjoy this and know everything is the culmination has come to this moment right now.”
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“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is playing in theaters nationwide from Paramount.
From Variety US