In a movie that will shock absolutely no one, Tom Cruise has officially signed on to star in and produce Mission: Impossible 5 movie. The news has been confirmed by Paramount Pictures and co-financier Skydance Productions.

No writer or director have been announced for the project as of yet, but late last year there was speculation that Christopher McQuarrie, the Oscar-winning writer of The Usual Suspects who also wrote and directed the surprisingly good Jack Reacher starring Cruise that was released back in December, would be taking the big job of directing the latest big screen adventure of Cruise’s globe-trotting superspy Ethan Hunt. The series is the second longest-running film franchise based on a television series, Star Trek naturally being the first.

The last Mission: Impossible sequel, 2011’s Ghost Protocol (pictured above) was the highest grossing (and best, in my opinion) entry to date, taking in nearly $700 million worldwide. Cruise’s past media antics did major damage to his career and reputation but he has carefully rebuilt his star brand by committing to riskier projects like the recent sci-fi adventure Oblivion. He currently has another The Man from U.N.C.L.E., another big screen adaptation of a popular 1960s television spy show to be directed by Guy Ritchie, among other high-profile movies on his plate, but if one of those projects hits a wall during development a window of opportunity could open up for McQuarrie and Cruise to reteam for M:I V (possible teaser poster abbreviation).

What do you say folks? Ready for more latex masks, killer stunts, and listenable orchestral rearrangements of that iconic Lalo Schifrin theme music? If McQuarrie is in the director’s chair you can count me in. I would love to hear his composer of choice, Joe Kraemer, take a crack at that theme.

[Source: Deadline]