Why the new ‘Mission Impossible’ film is called ‘Dead Reckoning’

The director and producer of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning has offered some clues as to what the film’s title could mean for the storyline.

In a new interview with Empire, Christopher McQuarrie explained that the title stems from a very specific reference, which could have major repercussions for Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF.

“There are many things emerging from Ethan’s past,” McQuarrie said. “‘Dead reckoning’ is a navigational term. It means you’re picking a course based solely on your last known position and that becomes quite the metaphor not only for Ethan, but several characters.”

As previously revealed, the film is also billed as Dead Reckoning: Part One. “The first thing we knew was that if it’s gonna be a big two-part adventure, it’s got to be epic,” he added.

“It’s going to have to be the instalment that swallows the rest of the franchise whole. There’s just not another way to do it.”

Watch the teaser trailer for the first part of Dead Reckoning below – including a first-look at Kittridge, played by Henry Czerny, whom fans haven’t seen since the original 1996 movie.

In January the release date of Dead Reckoning: Part One was delayed once again due to continuing concerns around COVID.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance have since announced that the movie will now come out on July 14, 2023 after COVID continued to impact production on the film, which has taken place in the UK.

And the eighth film in the series, filmed concurrently with the seventh and was confirmed by The Wrap to be the “part two”, is now slated for release on July 28, 2024.

According to a report by Variety in February, the two movies will will act as a send-off for Cruise in the series, or a “culmination” of the franchise.