Paramount reportedly wanted to develop a Mission: Impossible series for Paramount+ before franchise star Tom Cruise blocked it. While most well known now as Cruise's blockbuster film franchise, Mission: Impossible actually began as a television series that ran on CBS for seven seasons from 1966 to 1973. The show was revived in 1988 as a follow-up to the original series, this time airing on ABC, but was cancelled in 1990 after only two seasons.
Cruise first stepped into the role of Ethan Hunt in the first Mission: Impossible in 1996. The movie was a box-office hit, although at the time it did alienate some fans of the original series for turning the property's protagonist, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves in the series and Jon Voight in the film), into the film's villain. However, that controversy has long since been forgotten and the Mission: Impossible movies have since grossed over $3.5 billion with two more M:I sequels on the way. Mission: Impossible 7 is set for release on July 14, 2023, and Mission: Impossible 8 on June 28, 2024.
With Mission: Impossible being one of Paramount's most successful franchises, the studio was apparently interested in bringing the franchise back to its roots as a television series. According to THR, Paramount wanted to develop a Mission: Impossible series for Paramount+, but the effort was blocked by Cruise. No other details are known as to what exactly Paramount's plans would have been for a series or why Cruise blocked the project.
Cruise flexes a great amount of creative control over the Mission: Impossible franchise and is protective of both the brand and the theatrical experience. It was previously reported the star was unhappy with Paramount's decision to release the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 on Paramount+ after 45 days in theaters, forgoing the normal three-month theatrical window. Cruise likely wants Mission: Impossible to be thought of as a film property, an experience an audience can only get by going out to the theater. The idea of an M:I television series could dilute the specialness of the film.
For Paramount, a Mission: Impossible series makes a certain amount of sense. Similar to Star Trek, which also has a long-running film series, the franchise's television history makes it an ideal fit for their streaming service. With reports that Mission: Impossible 8 will be Cruise's last film in the series, the studio likely wants to find a way to continue one of their more profitable franchises. The budgets for the various Mission: Impossible films have risen quite a bit, with Mission: Impossible 7 reportedly costing $290 million. A streaming series taking the property back to the roots of the franchise of more small-scale espionage might be the ideal way to not only keep the series going but also reduce the cost that they are spending on each Mission: Impossible entry.
Source: THR