‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ actor Greg Tarzan Davis tells Fox News Digital the toughest part of his career transition from teacher to Hollywood actor.
« Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning » is the eighth (but not necessarily the last) film in the nearly 30-year-old franchise that began in 1996. Through Thursday, May 29, the latest release has brought in $91 million domestically and $136 million internationally for a worldwide gross of $227 million.
The series is a departure from other big-budget franchises that rely heavily on advanced CGI techniques and the power of the brand to attract audiences, particularly the Marvel and DC film series. While « Mission: Impossible » has featured a diverse range of co-stars, none matters more to the success of the series than Tom Cruise, aka Ethan Hunt. Cruise is not only the most prominent advocate for the movies, he also possesses star power demonstrated by the actor performing most of his own stunts.
Climbing the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for MI: Ghost Protocol? Check. Hanging from an Airbus A400M during a takeoff in MI: Rogue Nation? Check. Performing a HALO jump from an airplane at 25,000 feet in MI: Fallout? Check. Jumping from a cliff on a motorcycle, and going into freefall before deploying a parachute in MI: Dead Reckoning Part One? Check.
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The films have also earned billions of dollars at the box office, thanks in part to their worldwide appeal.
From 1996 to 2025, here are all eight of the movies in the « Mission: Impossible » series and how much they’ve made, according to Box Office Mojo:
Mission: Impossible – 1996
American actor Tom Cruise greets fans outside the UK film premiere of Brian De Palma’s ‘Mission Impossible’ at the Empire cinema, Leicester Square, London, July 1996. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images) (Dave Benett/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The first in the series was released at a time when dial-up internet and floppy disks were still in use, and more than ten years before the release of the first iPhone.
Domestic gross: $181 million
International: $277 million
Worldwide: $458 million
Mission: Impossible II – 2000
Preview of ‘Mission Impossible II’ in Paris (Eric Robert/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Critically, it was the least successful film in the series and the only one to receive a « rotten » designation on the Rotten Tomatoes meter at 57% (movies need reviews that are 58% positive to have « fresh » status). Still, the film had impressive box office numbers with Cruise as the star power, behind director John Woo’s first and only time working for the series.
Domestic gross: $215 million
International: $331 million
Worldwide: $546 million
Mission: Impossible III – 2006
Atmosphere during Los Angeles Fan Screening of Paramount Pictures’ « Mission: Impossible III » at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Paramount Pictures – CA) (E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Paramount Pictures – CA / Getty Images)
The third installment saw JJ Abrams taking over the director’s chair. While performing less at the box office than its predecessor, MI III benefited on the critical front by adding the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as criminal mastermind Owen Davian.
Domestic gross: $134 million
International: $264 million
Worldwide: $398 million
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – 2011
Tom Cruise attends the UK premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol’ at BFI IMAX on December 13, 2011, in London, England. (Ian Gavan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The fourth installment did away with the Roman numeral schema for titles and instead used subtitles. Directed by Brad Bird, who was better known for directing Pixar films « The Incredibles » and « Ratatouille, » the movie marked a moment when the series became a well-known brand.
Domestic gross: $209 million
International: $485 million
Worldwide: $694 million
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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – 2015
This picture taken on September 6, 2015, shows US actor Tom Cruise (R), Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson (C) and US director Christopher McQuarrie (L) attending the Shanghai premiere of their latest film « Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation ». The film (STR/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The fifth film in the series marked the beginning of Christopher McQuarrie’s partnership with Cruise, taking over directing and co-writing the scripts. It also marked the first time the international box office receipts exceeded $500 million.
Domestic gross: $195 million
International: $516 million
Worldwide: $711 million
Mission: Impossible – Fallout – 2018
Actor and producer Tom Cruise arrives for a screening of « Mission Impossible – Fallout » at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on July 22, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The HALO jump and « Superman » star Henry Cavill were part of the much-anticipated follow-up to « Rogue Nation, » and the earnings did not disappoint, with worldwide receipts grossing more than three-quarters of a billion.
Domestic gross: $220 million
International: $571 million
Worldwide: $791 million
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – 2023
Poster for the action movie Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, starring Tom Cruise outside the Vue cinema in Leicester Square on 14th August, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The seventh film in the series was somewhat of a « disappointment » in that its worldwide box office numbers were the least since the third film, released in 2006. Still, with a worldwide gross exceeding half a billion, it still did well in the post-COVID era.
Domestic gross: $172 million
International: $398 million
Worldwide: $571 million
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – 2025
A billboard near Hollywood & Highland promotes the new Tom Cruise movie ‘Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning’ on May 23, 2025, in Hollywood, California. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)
The latest has only been out for a little over a week, but as of Thursday it is seeing general robust numbers.
Domestic gross: $91 million
International: $136 million
Worldwide: $227 million
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