Tom Cruise Signs on for 'Mission: Impossible IV'

Tom Cruise has one more impossible mission ahead of him. The actor has confirmed he will reprise his role as Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible IV, and he'll also be co-producing the project.

Lost creator J.J. Abrams, who directed Mission: Impossible III, will also co-produce, and he and Tom are currently looking for a director. Brad Grey, an executive at Paramount Studios, said: "Tom and J.J. are great talents and we are excited to be working with them to re-launch this legendary franchise."
Cruise in Mission: Impossible(Unrealitymag.com)The script for the film will be written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, based on an idea developed by Tom and J.J. -- and the studio has set an ambitious initial release date of May 2011.

Paramount initially terminated Tom's contract with them after 2006's Mission: Impossible III had an underwhelming run at the box office, even though Tom was paid a rumored $80 million for the film. They cited his off-screen behavior as the result of ending the contract, after he made a now notorious appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and jumped on a sofa to explain his love for wife-to-be Katie Holmes.

The Mission: Impossible franchise has grossed more than $1.4 billion globally.