Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Pt 1: Cruise's Longest, Most Dangerous Mission Yet
Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, his most dangerous mission yet With the franchise's longest runtime and a new villain from his past, Hunt must stop a deadly weapon from falling into the wrong hands Rhames, Pegg, and Ferguson also return alongside newcomer Klementieff
The runtime for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One has been revealed and, unsurprisingly, it's the longest installment yet. In this highly anticipated first half of the franchise's two-part finale, Tom Cruise's IMF agent takes on his most perilous mission yet - to locate a dangerous new weapon before it falls into the hands of Gabriel (Esai Morales), a figure from Ethan's past. Alongside his trusted team of operatives - Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson - Cruise must navigate a treacherous path, with Pom Klementieff as a formidable secondary antagonist.
As we eagerly await the release of Mission: Impossible 7 later this summer, IGN has exclusively revealed that Dead Reckoning Part One will have a runtime of two hours and 36 minutes (excluding credits). This makes it the longest film in the franchise since the previous installment, beating out the two-hour and 27-minute runtime of Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Director Christopher McQuarrie also confirmed on Instagram a few days ago that the film has reached picture lock.
Why The Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Runtime Is So Long
The runtime of Dead Reckoning Part One has been a topic of discussion since Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish criticized the movie as being "too long" after an early screening of Mission: Impossible 7. While the runtime may have been reduced since then, it still makes sense for Dead Reckoning Part One to be the longest installment yet. As the first half of a two-part finale, the film has the responsibility of introducing new characters who will have significant roles in the franchise's endgame. Additionally, the movie showcases some of Cruise's most breathtaking stunts to date, which undoubtedly deserve ample screen time.
As a modern-day blockbuster action franchise approaches its conclusion, there is immense pressure to make each installment bigger and better than the last. The Mission: Impossible series has been steadily doing so since its inception in 1996. The runtime of Dead Reckoning Part One also follows a recent trend for action franchises that are nearing their end. Movies such as John Wick 4, Fast X, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny all had runtimes surpassing the two-hour-and-20-minute mark. Although the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One runtime is currently the longest in the franchise, it is likely to be surpassed by Part Two.
Source: IGN/Christopher McQuarrie
