Boxoffice Preview: Another 'Mission' Accomplished

Click on image to enlarge

By Brian Fuson

One of Hollywood's A-list tentpoles of the year lit up about 1,000 screens at midnight Thursday as Mission: Impossible III, the third installment of Paramount's highest-grossing franchise, staked out another assignment for uber-agent Ethan Hunt. The Tom Cruise starrer will be in an ultrawide 4,054 theaters, and it goes without saying that it will be the top-grossing film at the boxoffice this weekend. While the theater count is high, industry observers note that about 8,000 prints were struck, which means there will be numerous playtimes to choose from at the local multiplex. Directing chores on the third Mission film were handled by first-time feature helmer J.J. Abrams, creator of television's Lost and Alias. He got the job largely based on his work on Alias and his being a fan of the Mission: Impossible television series. The director has said that he and his co-writers wanted to instill more emotion, humor and character development into the franchise.