Tradecraft: Potential Mission: Impossible 4 Directors Emerge

The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog reports that producers J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise have narrowed their search for a director for the next installment of the Cruise-powered Mission: Impossible film franchise.  According to the trade, there are some intriguing contenders.  Apparently the short list includes director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) and Brad Bird (The Incredibles).  I liked Zombieland and thought it has some interesting directorial flourishes, but I can't quite make the leap from there to Mission: Impossible.  I'd rather see Fleischer get some more films under his belt before tackling something like M:I:4.  I love Edgar Wright and I loved Hot Fuzz, and I have no doubt that Wright would do a great job with this film (which could potentially reunite him with his Spaced/Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz leading man Simon Pegg, who played a Q-like character in Abrams' M:I:III), but honestly I'd rather see him tackle the spy genre on his own–or with Pegg.  I bet he (or they) could concoct something amazing. 

To me, though (and clearly to The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit as well), Brad Bird is the most intriguing choice.  My love for Mission: Impossible is (obviously) rooted not in the Cruise films but in the Sixties and Seventies TV series.  So far, all three of Bird's feature films (all animated) have been love letters to Sixties pop culture.  Iron Giant, Ratatouille(consider the 2D credits animation!) and most especially The Incredibles are all products of a mind positively steeped in that era!  From the Ken Adam-esque lairs and art direction to the John Barry-ish score to the Jack Kirby-style heroes and robots to the Robert McGinnis (not -ish or -esque; it's the real deal!) poster pictured, The Incredibles is one of the most (forgive me) incredible homages to Sixties adventure entertainment I've ever seen.  Now, I don't for a second believe that Bird would somehow shift the whole franchise back into the Cold War; I know that isn't going to happen.  But I think he would probably look back to the formative years of the TV show for inspiration.  It's certainly possible to make a very Sixties-like spy movie without setting it then, and I would love to see a Mission: Impossible film with a true Sixties flavor!  It's true that Bird has never helmed a live action movie before, but why should that matter?  He's a great visual storyteller, and those skills are the same in live action or animation.  As Kits points out, he's been praised again and again for his "strengths in staging thrilling and intricate action set-pieces..."  And isn't that exactly what a good Mission: Impossible story comes down to?  Yes, I would love to see what Brad Bird did with this film.  I hope he gets the job.  Previously I was rooting for Abrams to return to the director's chair as well as produce, but now I think Bird is my own personal frontrunner. 

These director possibilities also raise some interesting score possibilities.  Wright worked with David Arnold on Hot Fuzz.  Would the resident James Bond composer ever consider defecting (if only briefly) to the competition?  Why not?  John Barry certainly scored plenty of other spy movies amidst his Bond work.  Arnold has worked magic with exciting new reinventions of "The James Bond Theme" and Barry's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."  He's comfortable building a score around an iconic piece by another composer and making it his own, and he's skillfully put his own spin on the Barry sound and updated it for our age.  I'd be thrilled to see him do the same for the second most famous spy tune of all time, and to watch him play in Lalo Schifrin's sandbox!  That possibility alone makes me give Wright a second thought.  But Bird, on the other hand, collaborates with Michael Giacchino.  And Giacchino has already written the best score for any of the Mission: Impossible movies to date.  He's already demonstrated his clear affection for Schifrin's music, adapting not only the M:I Theme, but also Schifrin's "Mission Accomplished" composition.  And I have a feeling that Bird could draw out of him an even more ambitious take on that music than Abrams did.  After all, when John Barry himself wasn't comfortable with writing a Sixties John Barry score for The Incredibles, Giacchino stepped up to the plate and turned in the best Sixties John Barry score since the Sixties!  I suspect he could easily outdo his outstanding score for M:I:III given a second go.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Paramount set a May 27, 2011, release date for the movie and is eyeing a summer start."  So hopefully we'll know fairly soon who the new helmer is... and be able to make a pretty informed guess as to the composer.  I only regret that the great Peter Graves won't be around to do the cameo that J.J. Abrams had mooted last fall.