Christopher McQuarrie is first returning director in 'Mission: Impossible' franchise for 'Fallout'

christopher mcquarrie mission: impossible

At Tom Cruise’s request, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie became the first filmmaker ever to return to direct a second Mission: Impossible film. And does so with the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

“One of the signature elements of the franchise is that there has been a different director for every movie,” McQuarrie explains. “When Tom asked me to come back and direct this one I said I would do it on the condition that I could maintain the spirit of that tradition by completely changing the visual language from the previous film. I want people who watch Rogue Nation and Fallout to feel like two different people directed them.”

That was fine with Cruise, who has had a deep admiration for McQuarrie’s ability as a filmmaker since the pair first collaborated on the 2012 action thriller Jack Reacher. “I love working with McQ,” says Cruise. “He is enormously talented. He wanted to change the visual style so it would be as though someone else had directed it, and he succeeded. But it still has his bold storytelling sensibility. I love the toughness of the movie and the characters. We pulled out all the stops. I can’t wait for audiences to see it.”

McQuarrie believes one of the reasons the franchise remains so popular is Cruise’s insatiable desire to make each film more thrilling and intense than its predecessor. “It never stands still,” says the director. “But most importantly it never forgets the audience. Tom is first and foremost an entertainer. Everything he’s doing in the movies is to take you places you’ve never been, to show you things you’ve never seen, and to put you in the experience right there with him.”

For Mission: Impossible – Fallout, McQuarrie was eager to explore a darker and more human side of the film’s central character. “Ethan has always been a bit of a mystery,” he observes. “This time I wanted to be more inside his head and feel his connection with other people. The title refers not only to nuclear fallout but also to the fallout of all of Ethan’s good intentions. He has walked into a situation beyond his control, and he has to go through it even though he knows he’s being manipulated.”