Tom Cruise signs on for 'Mission: Impossible 5'; Christopher McQuarrie to remake 'Ice Station Zebra'

After Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol was the highest-grossing of the franchise, it was looking like Tom Cruise had reclaimed his spot as one of Hollywood's most bankable leading men. But mixed response to Rock of Ages, Jack Reacher, and Oblivion have thrown his status back into question. Fortunately, another Ethan Hunt mission is right around the corner, and Cruise is eager to be a part of it.

Cruise has officially signed on for Mission: Impossible 5, which he revealed last fall he was already working on. Cruise and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot will produce, but that's pretty much all we know about it at this stage. No word on whether Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, or other members of the team will be back, and for that matter it's unclear who Paramount wants as director.  Past rumors have pegged Cruise's frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie taking over, but he's just added a high-profile gig that could take up a lot of his time.

McQuarrie, who wrote the last Mission: Impossible and has worked with Cruise on Jack Reacher and Valkyrie, has signed on to direct a remake of Cold War thriller Ice Station Zebra. The previous 1968 film was a huge hit at the time, and featured a star-studded cast that included Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, and Rock Hudson. Alistair McLean's novel served as the basis for the story of an American submarine team racing the Russians to retrieve sensitive photographic material in the Arctic. 

The news broke on THR, who claim McQuarrie's involvement with the remake could impact his availability for the next Mission: Impossible.  The schedules for he and Cruise will have to be worked out regardless of how this shakes out. McQuarrie also has an adaptation of Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, while Guy Ritchie just landed Cruise for The Man from UNCLE. And let's not forget there's a potential Jack Reacher sequel that would keep them both busy.