Tradecraft: McQuarrie and Ferguson to Return for Sixth Mission: Impossible?

To date, the Mission: Impossible film series has never had the same director or same leading lady twice. But now, according to Variety, both firsts are far from impossible for the next entry. The trade reports that triumphant Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie and that film's stellar leading lady, Rebecca Ferguson (definitely a highlight of the picture!) are both expected to return for the next installment. One thing I've enjoyed about the film series is that, unlike the James Bond films, it's been a director's franchise to date, with clear auteur visions guiding each unique entry. Sure, that's led to clear misses like M:I-ii (John Woo's distinctive style proved a poor match for the material), but it's also led to wonderful discoveries, making the feature and live-action debuts (respectively) of J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird. That said, McQuarrie did an amazing job with Rogue Nation, and (crucially, for this fan) has shown himself to be a fan of the TV series. I think the series is in good hands with him, and I look forward to watching him top himself inthe next installment.