Hollywood’s most death-defying franchise is reportedly preparing for one of its boldest creative turns yet — but for now, it’s still just a rumor. A tip circulating via celebrity-gossip account DeuxMoi has been amplified by entertainment sites claiming Tom Cruise has held early talks with Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao about writing/directing Mission: Impossible 9.
If the talks ever materialise into a deal, Zhao would become the first woman to helm a film in the 30-year-old franchise and the first director outside Christopher McQuarrie to take the reins since Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol (2011).
Why Chloé Zhao?
The move would represent a dramatic tonal and stylistic shift for the series. Zhao, best known for Nomadland — which won Best Picture and earned her the Oscar for Best Director — and the visually expansive Marvel entry Eternals, brings an auteur sensibility rarely seen in tentpole action franchises.
Where Does the Franchise Stand?
The most recent chapter, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025), was directed by Christopher McQuarrie and released theatrically on May 23, 2025 as the direct sequel to Dead Reckoning (2023).
McQuarrie took over the series beginning with 2015’s Rogue Nation and then returned for Fallout, Dead Reckoning, and The Final Reckoning.
Fan & Industry Reactions
Online chatter has split into two camps: one excited by the idea of Zhao’s eye and atmosphere applied to practical stunt spectacle, the other wary of the franchise drifting too far from the McQuarrie-era propulsion.
What Happens Next?
No deal has been announced, and there’s been no official confirmation from Paramount, Cruise, or Zhao. Until a major trade or the studio goes on record, treat this as unconfirmed talk rather than a locked development.
By – Manoj