Just two weeks into its theatrical run,Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis already crossing major box office milestones. A sequel toMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, the movie sees Tom Cruise return as Ethan Hunt, as he attempts to save the world from arogue AI the Entity. It was directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie, who also led the 2023 installment.It reportedly had a massive $400 million budgetand earned $79 million during the four-day opening weekend, which overlapped with Memorial Day.
According to a report byDeadline, the movie is expected to earn $26.7 million through this weekend, which would represent a 58% drop from its opening weekend. By the end of the weekend, it should havea total of $122 million domestically, meaning that it has already soared past the $100 million milestone. That would put it just behindMinority Report(2002) asCruise’s 17th-highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office.
What This Means For Mission: Impossible 8
It Is Still Nowhere Close To Breaking Even
TheMission: Impossiblefranchise has always depended on incredible and death-defying stunts, which are loosely tied together by some overarching story.Cruise is the face of the franchise, as he enjoys performing his own stunts and participating in extremely risky maneuvers. With theSAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023and the cost of those set pieces, it is no surprise that this movie compiled an extremely high budget. A $400 million total, however, is extremely risky, given thatMission: Impossible – Fallout(2018) was the highest-grossing movie in the franchise and earned just $824 million.
The Final Reckoningwas originally titledMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.
Only one of Cruise’s movies has ever earned over $1 billion, which is what this film would need to break even.Top Gun: Maverick(2022) seemingly saved the box office after the COVID-19 pandemic began, but no other movie came anywhere close to its $1.4 billion total. AlthoughThe Final Reckoninghas crossed $100 million, it’s still far from reaching the break-even point. A key reason is that the movie is facing significant competition, particularlyLilo & Stitch, which was released on the same weekend, and upcoming new releases likeKarate Kid: Legends. While it will likely have stronger momentum internationally, it’s unlikely to hit the target milestone to become a box-office success.
Our Take On The Final Reckoning’s Box Office Milestone
It Should Be Cautiously Praised
Even if the movie is unlikely to earn $1 billion, the performance does deserve some acknowledgment. It earned $127 million overseas in its first week, so it is poised to draw audiences both domestically and internationally. It is alreadyCruise’s 17th-highest-grossing domestic moviein just its second weekend, which is a positive sign for the franchise. With streaming also gaining more traction, the latest installment may see more success once it becomes available to watch from home. If there are moreMission: Impossiblemovies afterThe Final Reckoning, limiting the budget would be necessary, but this is proof that they are still viable.
