Paul Thomas Anderson Wanted to Direct One of the Greatest Action Franchises Ever  — and It’s a Damn Shame He Didn’t

Christopher McQuarrie may have been the single auteur behind the last four entries in the Mission: Impossiblefranchise, but the series began as a showcase for different filmmakers to experiment with their distinctive styles. Brian De Palma brought a Hitchcockian sense of tension to the original Mission: Impossible, John Woo made an all-out spectacle out of Mission: Impossible II, J.J. Abrams drew from his experience on prestige television for Mission: Impossible III, and Brad Bird paid homage to retro spy content with Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. It’s clear that McQuarrie was able to remain part of the series due to his strong working relationship with Tom Cruise. However, Cruise has another collaborator who was interested in joining the franchise. Paul Thomas Anderson mentioned he was interested in directing a Mission: Impossible film, and expressed disappointment that “it’s not going to happen.”