Dead Reckoning Box Office Sets Unique Record for Mission: Impossible Franchise

Dead Reckoning Part One has surpassed Mission: Impossible 2, to secure its place as the fourth-highest (and lowest) grossing film in the series.

With the conclusion of its seventh weekend, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One has managed to reach a respectable box office milestone.

The action-packed spy saga has now surpassed the $550 million milestone at the worldwide box office. Interestingly, the film has now been positioned at the unique fourth spot within the series' box office collections, irrespective of whether you are counting from highest to lowest or vice-versa.

The movie raked in a noteworthy $2 million in domestic earnings over the weekend, supplemented by an additional $5 million from international markets during the past week. These figures have pushed the worldwide earnings beyond $550 million. Domestically, it has amassed $168 million, while overseas markets have contributed over $383 million from around 70 territories.

Though the movie, featuring Hollywood A-listers Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, and Vanessa Kirby, seems to have achieved a decent total, its theatrical journey is expected to end with less than $600 million, marking the lowest performance since the release of Mission: Impossible III back in 2006. As the weeks roll on, it is becoming increasingly likely that it will become the first installment in the long-running franchise to end its run without generating a profit for Paramount. Notably, the movie also outpaced the lifetime earnings of Mission: Impossible 2 this week.

In just the second week of its release, the movie encountered competition from the juggernaut box office double feature "Barbenheimer" which continues to dominate the box office to date. Dead Reckoning — Part One even had to submit all its IMAX screens to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which is rapidly closing in on a colossal $800 million globally, a figure once expected for this film.

Reports even suggest that IMAX had tried to convince Paramount to reconsider the release date, to no avail. Adding to the challenge, Dead Reckoning – Part One has taken the title of one of the costliest films ever made, sporting a budget that nearly touched the $300 million mark due to the multiple pandemic-related disruptions, a significant jump from the reported $180 million for Mission: Impossible — Fallout. This scenario is not unique to the film, as both Disney's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Warner Bros.' The Flash encountered similar struggles.

Mission: Impossible 7 Provides Disappointing Box Office Returns

The setback for Tom Cruise, who was riding the high of his career post the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick, is evident. Notably, his previous three Mission: Impossible installments were box office magnets, with the third film, Fallout, bringing an impressive $791 million. Hence, the prospect of Dead Reckoning – Part One concluding its global journey with a $200 million deficit is undoubtedly disappointing.

The franchise, as a whole, has amassed over $4 billion in global box office earnings. The seven films collectively generated a sum of $4.11 billion, with an average of $590 million per entry against an average budget of $159 million. Despite the inflation in the latest installment's budget, Paramount's commitment to the franchise remains steadfast over the past 28 years. The production of the follow-up film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, is currently facing disruptions by the SAG-AFTRA strikes, with no resolution in sight.

As the series aims to cross the $5 billion threshold, the focus will certainly be on the fate of the upcoming eighth film, to perform remarkably and reach at least $880 million for the milestone. Though challenging, considering the absence of a formidable competitor like "Barbenheimer," the film is expected to perform like the previous entries. The film is slated for a June 28, 2024, release.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is currently playing in theaters.