Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible | |
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![]() Series logo | |
Created by | Bruce Geller |
Original work | Mission: Impossible (1966) |
Owner | Paramount Pictures |
Years | 1966–present |
Films and television | |
Film(s) | |
Television series |
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Games | |
Video game(s) |
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Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) |
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Original music |
Mission: Impossible is an American multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise beginning in 1996.
As of 2025, the film series has grossed approximately $4.74 billion worldwide, ranking it among the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.[1]
The most recent installment, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, premiered in Tokyo on May 5, 2025, and was released internationally on May 23. It earned about $598 million worldwide, including $197.4 million in the U.S. and Canada and $400.6 million internationally, making it the highest-opening entry in the series and the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2025.[2]
Although its title suggests finality, franchise star Tom Cruise gave mixed signals. At the Cannes premiere, he said, “It’s the final … it’s not called final for nothing,” while in other interviews he expressed interest in continuing the role into his eighties.[3][4]
Legacy
[edit]The franchise’s signature theme music, composed in 5/4 time by Lalo Schifrin for the 1966 series, incorporates the Morse code for “M.I.” Schifrin’s composition became an enduring cultural hallmark, earning Grammy recognition. Schifrin died in June 2025 at age 93, with obituaries widely highlighting his influence on spy film music.[5]
Several actors have spoken about their experiences with the films. Jeremy Renner, who appeared in Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, did not return for later installments due to family commitments, stating he prioritized raising his daughter over extended location filming.[6] Hayley Atwell, who debuted as Grace in Dead Reckoning, noted she spent over five years with the franchise, including extensive reshoots, describing it as both physically demanding and creatively rewarding.[7]
Media
[edit]Television series
[edit]Title | Release | Seasons | Episodes | Note(s) |
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Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series) | 1966–1973 | 7 | 171 episodes | |
Mission: Impossible (1988 TV series) | 1988–1990 | 2 | 35 episodes |
Films
[edit]Title | Release date | Note(s) |
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Mission: Impossible vs. the Mob | 1967 | Released theatrically in Europe and Australia. |
Mission: Impossible | May 22, 1996 | Part of the Mission: Impossible film series. |
Mission: Impossible 2 | May 24, 2000 | |
Mission: Impossible III | May 5, 2006 | |
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | December 16, 2011 | |
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | July 31, 2015 | |
Mission: Impossible – Fallout | July 27, 2018 | |
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning | July 12, 2023 | |
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | May 23, 2025 |
Soundtracks
[edit]Title | Release date | Note(s) |
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Music from Mission: Impossible | 1967 | |
More Mission: Impossible | 1969 | |
Mission: Impossible (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) | May 14, 1996 | |
Mission: Impossible – (Music from the Original Motion Picture Score) | June 18, 1996 | |
Music from and Inspired by Mission: Impossible 2 | May 9, 2000 | |
Mission: Impossible 2 (Music from the Original Motion Picture Score) | June 13, 2000 | |
Mission: Impossible III (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | May 9, 2006 | |
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Music from the Motion Picture) | December 13, 2011 | |
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Music from the Motion Picture) | July 24, 2015 | |
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture) | July 13, 2018 | |
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Music from the Motion Picture) | July 12, 2023 | |
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Music from the Motion Picture) | May 23, 2025 |
Video games
[edit]Title | Platform | Release date | Note(s) |
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Spy Daisakusen[8] | PC-8800 series | 1982 | Based on the 1966 TV series. Released in Japan only. |
Sharp MZ | |||
Mission: Impossible | NES | 1990 | Based on the 1988 TV series revival. |
Mission: Impossible[9] | MS-DOS | 1991 | |
Mission: Impossible | N64 | 1998 | Based on the 1996 film. |
PSX | 1999 | ||
Mission: Impossible | GBC | 2000 | |
Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma | GBA | 2003 | |
Xbox | |||
PS2 | |||
GC | |||
Mission: Impossible III | J2ME | 2006 | Developed by Gameloft |
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | iOS | 2015 | Developed by Glu |
Android | |||
Lego Dimensions - Mission: Impossible | PS3 | 2016 | Expansion pack for Lego Dimensions. Based on the Mission: Impossible film series. |
PS4 | |||
Xbox One | |||
Xbox 360 | |||
Wii U |
Books
[edit]Title | Release date | Author | Note(s) |
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Mission: Impossible 1 | 1967 | Walter Wager (credited as John Tiger) | Part of a series |
Mission: Impossible 2: Code Name: Judas | 1968 | Jim Lawrence (credited as Max Walker) | |
Mission: Impossible 3: Code Name: Rapier | |||
Mission: Impossible 4: Code Name: Little Ivan | 1969 | Walter Wager (credited as John Tiger) | |
Mission: Impossible: The Priceless Particle | 1969 | Talmage Powell | Part of a series |
Mission: Impossible: The Money Explosion | 1970 | ||
Mission Impossible | 1996 | Peter Barsocchini | Novelization to the Tom Cruise film |
Mission Impossible: The Aztec Imperative | James Luceno | Tie-in series to the film series | |
Mission Impossible: Ring of Fire | Tom Philbin | ||
Mission Impossible: The Doomsday Summit |
Comics
[edit]Title | Release date | Note(s) |
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Mission: Impossible | 1967 | Five-issue series; published by Dell Comics. |
Mission: Impossible | 1973 | Comic strip published in TV Action. Art by John M. Burns. |
Mission: Impossible | 1996 | Tie-in prequel one-shot to the 1996 film. Published by Marvel Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman, art by Rob Liefeld et al. |
Cast and characters
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Mission: Impossible film series box office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning box office". The Numbers. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning the last film?". The Economic Times. May 25, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Tom Cruise not ruling out more Mission: Impossible films". People. May 28, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Lalo Schifrin, Mission: Impossible composer, dies aged 93". The Sun. June 30, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Why Jeremy Renner left Mission: Impossible franchise". People. March 15, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Hayley Atwell on Mission: Impossible role and reshoots". The Guardian. February 1, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Spy Daisakusen". MobyGames. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "Mission: Impossible for DOS (1991)". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved May 16, 2020.