Following the delay of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3 due to the ongoing actors’ strike, Paramount Pictures has decided to make some significant changes to its schedule for next year and beyond. One of the movies affected by these changes is Mission Impossible 8, also known as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two. Unfortunately, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the production of this highly anticipated sequel may be difficult to restart. As a result, the film’s release date has been pushed back from June 28, 2024, to May 23, 2025, coinciding with Memorial Day weekend.
Shifting Mission Impossible 8’s release date is a strategic move by Paramount, as Memorial Day has proved to be a successful time for Tom Cruise in the past. This particular weekend holds significance in the actor’s career, as it is where Cruise launched his highest-grossing movie of all time, Top Gun: Maverick, which earned a staggering $1.49 billion worldwide. By placing Mission Impossible 8 in this slot, the studio hopes to replicate this success and maximize the film’s box office potential.
Before the pandemic, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One achieved great success at the box office. It grossed $172.1 million domestically and $567.5 million worldwide during the summer. These numbers further reinforce the franchise’s popularity and commercial viability. Therefore, moving the sequel to a holiday weekend and granting it a three-week run in IMAX theaters may bolster its chances of surpassing the previous film’s success.
Paramount’s decision to delay Mission Impossible 8 until 2025 will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the 2024 box office revenue. The absence of such a highly anticipated movie will leave a void in the summer lineup, potentially affecting overall industry performance during that period. However, this move reflects the unpredictable nature of the film industry, where unforeseen circumstances often lead to major schedule changes.
In addition to Mission Impossible 8, the horror spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One has also undergone a change in release date. Originally planned for March 8, 2024, the film will now open on June 28, 2024, which coincides with Mission Impossible 8’s previous weekend. This strategic move allows the movie to benefit from the buzz and audience interest generated by its highly anticipated counterpart. Paramount aims to capitalize on the success of the Mission: Impossible franchise by aligning the release of these two films.
John Krasinski’s upcoming movie, titled IF and starring Ryan Reynolds, will now be released a week earlier. Instead of May 24, 2024, the film will hit the theaters on May 17, 2024. This change aims to avoid a crowded Memorial Day weekend, where several major releases from different studios are expected. By moving IF to a less competitive slot, Paramount hopes to attract a larger audience and generate more buzz surrounding the movie’s release.
The rescheduling of Mission Impossible 8 and A Quiet Place: Day One has created a domino effect on other movie releases. The untitled animated SpongeBob SquarePants film, originally slated for May 23, 2025, has been moved to December 19, 2025, potentially setting up a clash with Avatar 3 and an untitled Warner Bros. project. Furthermore, numerous films have been affected by the shuffle, including Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s Furiosa, Sony’s Garfield, and 20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
The deadlock resulting from the actors’ strike has forced Paramount to make necessary adjustments to its release schedule. By moving Mission Impossible 8 and A Quiet Place: Day One, the studio aims to maximize the box office potential of these films and capitalize on Tom Cruise’s past success during Memorial Day weekend. While these changes may disrupt the 2024 box office landscape, they reflect the ever-changing nature of the film industry and its ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.