Mission: Impossible 8’s budget revealed (and it’s the most expensive in the franchise)

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

After the film finally wrapped production, the budget for Mission: Impossible 8 has been revealed. The next installment in the Tom Cruise-led action franchise was originally supposed to be the second installment of the two-part Dead Reckoning storyline and shoot concurrently with the 2023 release, but plans changed due to COVID-19 delays. After starting filming in early 2022, Mission: Impossible 8 faced further delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, including a nearly year-long delay in release and the title change from Dead Reckoning Part Two to its current untitled status.

The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that Cruise was in development on a Days of Thunder sequel after “Top Gun: Maverick,” following the film’s success. The news also included the revelation that Mission: Impossible 8’s budget is “approaching $400 million,” with sources indicating that the funding sting is due to multiple production delays and the Hollywood strikes of 2023. This would make the next film the most expensive in the franchise, eclipsing the previous record of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning at $291 million.

What this means for Mission: Impossible 8

While the multiple production delays certainly make sense given the film’s large budget, the question now becomes whether Mission: Impossible 8 can do more than recoup those funds. Despite earning some of the franchise’s best reviews, Dead Reckoning memorably became the series’ first box office disappointment, grossing just under $600 million against a $291 million production budget, which, when combined with marketing and theaters, fell short of the reported break-even point of $600 million. Between Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and Transformers One and Rise of the Beasts, Paramount has found itself in a bit of a box office slump. 

While the combined strength of A Quiet Place: Day One and Smile 2 have kept them in the green, when it comes to triple-digit productions, they haven’t had a hit since 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. The fact that Mission: Impossible 8 has such a huge budget also explains why Paramount is reportedly considering making it the last film. Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has been reluctant to confirm it, even though the former not only has a busy schedule but also signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. earlier this year. With all of this in mind, Mission: Impossible 8 could be the turning point for the franchise’s future.