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'Hamnet' to Tom Cruise's 'M:I', are we seeing Chloé Zhao's cinematic crossover?
The Oscar-winning director is tipped to be in the running to helm the ninth movie in the spy action thriller series
- PUBLISHED: Thu 19 Feb 2026, 10:32 AM UPDATED: Thu 19 Feb 2026, 11:06 AM
When Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning released last year, it was widely perceived as the final movie in the series. We may now have a twist in that tale.
Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao—whose latest film Hamnet has won two Golden Globes awards, eight Academy Award nominations, alongside 11 at the Bafta—is tipped to be in the running to helm the ninth movie in the spy action thriller series.
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Neither Zao nor Cruise have issued a confirmation.
Primarily known for her work on independent films, Chinese filmmaker Zao she became the second of three women to bag an Academy Award for Best Director for Nomadland in 2020. The action genre is up her alley too: she co-wrote and directed the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals (2021). That may hold her in good stead if she gets to direct Cruise, who has a penchant for daredevil stunts and jumping off any moving object.
If Zao agrees, this would be the first time the action-loaded M:I franchise gets a new director since Christoper McQuarrie, a long-time associate of Cruise who's been directing M:I flicks since 2015.
The speculation gained ground after the celebrity news outlet Deuxmoi said Cruise sought Zao to write or direct the next instalment. According to the outlet, which also gave the disclaimer that their report was based on an anonymous email, scripting is underway.
McQuarrie, who has directed the last four films in the franchise, has been a major creative force behind it. Chances are, Zao's induction would mark a change in tone. But its box office haul may have prompted its production house to consider a pause and strategy tweak.
Final Reckoning grossed around $600 million (Dh2.203 billion approximately) globally and received largely favourable reviews, but production costs, including those for marketing, swelled to nearly $400 million. This may have prompted the producers to consider a new director who would lead the franchise in a new direction and keep a lid on costs.
In May last year, Cruise avoided confirming anything about the franchise's future. According to People, when asked about it during the Cannes Film Festival, he said, "Just let us show the movie tonight. This is like 30 years' culmination of this, and I think that this is—I'd rather just people see it and enjoy."
Ethan Hunt's exploits may continue, but we may have to wait to see who will be directing them.
