Despite Paramount’s concerns over Tom Cruise’s wobbly box office appeal, the studio is going ahead with Mission: Impossible 4, and now appears to be looking for some younger talent to appear alongside him,with Anthony Mackie, Kevin Zegers and Chris Egan all apparently testing for roles.
According to The Wrap, they’ve either all screen tested for unknown roles, or are about to, though Paramount’s only comment was to offer a denial of the story. So take that as you will.
The usual steel lock of secrecy has fallen upon the film with producer JJ Abrams keeping everyone from talking with the power of his mind. Or a nondisclosure agreement – but we prefer the first option.
What we do know so far is that Brad Bird is on line to direct a script by Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec, and that both Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are locking in deals to reprise their roles from the previous film (or films, in Rhames’ case).
Mackie’s still probably best known for The Hurt Locker, though he also cropped up in Eagle Eye and Notorious. Egan wooed Amanda Seyfried in Letters to Juliet and Zegers has appeared in the likes of Transamerica.
Whether any of the three will actually hit the screen, and what they might be playing, remains up in the air, so we’re calling this a rumour for now…