Thanks to its spiky storylines, ever-rotating payroll of gifted directors and bar-raising action sequences, Mission: Impossible is one Hollywood franchise that has defied the years and still seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank. The long-rumoured, freshly-confirmed recruitment of Christopher McQuarrie to write and direct Mission: Impossible 5 should keep Ethan Hunt running for a good while yet.
McQuarrie announced his decision on his Twitter feed (which presumably self-destructed shortly afterwards), confirming a rumour that has lingered since Brad Bird announced his plans to bail in favour of George Clooney and Tomorrowland.
Deciding to accept. “@[leeroy_nitro](https://twitter.com/leeroy_nitro): @[chrismcquarrie](https://twitter.com/chrismcquarrie) G'day mateJust wondering if your confirmed to direct Mission Impossible 5 yet?” > > — ChristopherMcQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) [February 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/chrismcquarrie/status/298807932437553154)
Despite Pixar alum Bird's handling of the character beats in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, not to mention that pant-wetting Burj sequence, Paramount is sticking to its one-director/one-film formula. McQuarrie's long-standing relationship with Tom Cruise, dating back to Valkyrie, and his uncredited script spruce on **Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol **helped him to the gig, making up for One Shot's disappointing box office.
The moral there? People like running, jumping, spying Tom Cruise more than running, shooting, punching Tom Cruise. Watch this space for more.