Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible 6' Pay Dispute Halts Preproduction

A dispute over salary between Tom Cruise and Paramount has halted preproduction on Mission: Impossible 6, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio, which was co-financing the movie with Skydance, was in the prep stages for a January 2017 production start and Christopher McQuarrie, who is back on directing duties after reinvigorating the franchise with the fifth installment, is writing the script.

Sources tell THR that one of the contentious points is Cruise's backend profit participation, with the actor looking to match or exceed what he is getting paid by Universal for starring in The Mummy, which he is currently shooting in London. Mummy is a pivotal movie for Universal, which is looking to launch a cinematic franchise and has hinged plenty on Cruise’s star power.

This is the second hiccup this summer for Mission: Impossible 6. In July, the project threatened to fall apart over what one source said was script issues. That obstacle pushed a November start into the new year.

Paramount initially wanted Mission: Impossible 6 for a late 2017 release but it is currently undated.