Contrary to media reports, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two” is not being delayed by the ongoing writers’ strike and shooting is set to resume later this summer after Tom Cruise and the film’s cast complete their promotional work for “Part One,” according to insiders with knowledge of the production.
Last week, Empire Magazine published an interview with “Dead Reckoning” director Christopher McQuarrie, where he acknowledged the delays and hurdles that his team’s work on the two “M:I” films have had to face.
“Behind each tsunami is another tsunami,” McQuarrie said. “It’s unrelenting. We live in a state of 24-hour tsunami awareness. That’s just what we do.”
While McQuarrie was not quoted as referring to specific delays such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the article says that “obstacles for this double production have already included a pandemic and now encompass an ongoing writer’s strike.”
This led other film media outlets like Slash Film to report that the writers’ strike has extended the current pause on shooting, which studio insiders say is inaccurate as McQuarrie and Cruise are taking a scheduled break from production to do interviews for “Dead Reckoning: Part One” and to attend that film’s premiere in Rome next weekend.
The WGA strike, which is currently in its seventh week, has led to shutdowns on countless film and TV productions while on-location permits for shooting in the Los Angeles area have dwindled to zero over the past month. But some high-profile productions have pushed on, including Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool 3,” which is still shooting in Canada ahead of a rescheduled release date in May 2024.
It is still possible, however, that the productions that are still shooting during the WGA strike may also be forced to pause if the actors union SAG-AFTRA fails to reach a deal on a new labor contract during its ongoing talks with the studio labor representatives at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. SAG-AFTRA’s members have overwhelmingly authorized their leaders to order a strike if it cannot reach an agreement after the current labor contract expires on June 30.
In addition to forcing a pause on all productions, an actors’ strike would also affect the publicity campaigns for several late summer films and for the upcoming Emmy nominations, which will be announced on July 12.
“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” will not be one of the films affected, as Paramount insiders say the film’s press junkets and premiere had been scheduled before the June 30 SAG-AFTRA deadline for several months for unrelated reasons. But other July and August films, such as Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” and “Blue Beetle,” as well as Universal’s Christopher Nolan film “Oppenheimer,” may have their publicity plans disrupted.
“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” hits theaters on July 12, with “Part Two” currently scheduled for release on June 28, 2024.
