Mission: Impossible 8 may be the last entry in the long-running spy franchise and will see Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt continue to take on the Entity, an artificial intelligence program that could disrupt the power structure of the entire world. The cast also includes Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Hayley Atwell, who became an IMF agent in the previous entry. Anticipation is high for The Final Reckoning, especially since Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie constantly strive to tell more ambitious stories. However, these action movies are not cheap.

According to a new report by Puck, the budget of Mission: Impossible 8 is at least $400 million, meaning it will have to set a franchise record just to break even at the box office. The report details that the massive budget is due to several factors, including the pandemic delaying production, the two Hollywood strikes, and Cruise persuading then-new studio chief Brian Robbins for more money on the last installments due to inflation. While the number can't be confirmed, one insider said the following: “It’s a big, expensive movie—no doubt—but it has enormous value [beyond theatrical revenue]. I’m sure we’d do it all over again.”

What This Budget Means For Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible 8's Massive Budget Is Not A Surprise

It's not necessarily surprising that the budget for the eighth Mission: Impossible movie is so high. After all, the previous entry, Dead Reckoning, had a budget of $300 million. Since Cruise and McQuarrie likely wanted to go even bigger for what will potentially be the series' final entry, it makes sense that Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning's budget is even higher. Additionally, as is noted in Puck's report, the film's production was not smooth sailing due to several shutdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no doubt that Mission: Impossible 8 will be an exciting spy film, but it is questionable whether it will make its money back at the box office. As seen in the above table, the seventh film actually underperformed at the box office. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning's box office haul was seen as a disappointment given its huge budget. Usually, a film needs to make about 2.5 times its budget to break even, which means that Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning may have to make $1 billion to be considered a box office success.

On top of a very busy summer schedule, the eighth Mission: Impossible movie will have some hefty competition, so the ability to break even will be a challenge.

This will be challenging as it opens on the same weekend as Disney's Lilo & Stitch remake. Early projections have indicated that the weekend of May 23 will see both films contributing to a massive combined box office of $200 million. However, the Disney remake will likely win the weekend, with a projection of $120 million, while The Final Reckoning is expected to make $80 million. That makes sense, however, since the Disney movie targets families and younger crowds. On top of a very busy summer schedule, the eighth Mission: Impossible movie will have some hefty competition, so the ability to break even will be a challenge.

Our Take On Mission: Impossible 8's Budget

Mission: Impossible 8 Will Be A Massive Movie For Paramount

Early box office projections for Mission: Impossible 8 suggest it will have the highest opening in the series, which is great news. Since Cruise and McQuarrie are clearly so ionate about this film, I want it to succeed. However, despite this positive projection, it will be hard for the film to make $1 billion, especially given the total haul of Dead Reckoning. However, as is stated in the report, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is still a great investment for Paramount and will be immensely popular on streaming even if it doesn't make its money back at the box office.

Source: Puck