Brad Bird, Mission Impossible 4 | featured news

Tom Cruise appears to have left behind his weird period, at least at the North American box office. “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” which features the 49-year-old Mr. Cruise scaling buildings and sprinting through sandstorms, repeated as the No. 1 attraction at movie theaters over the holiday weekend, taking in about $31.3 million for a three-week total of $134 million. “Ghost Protocol,” directed by Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”), has sold over $200 million in scattered release overseas.

Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams successfully restored Ethan Hunt to big-screen glory with "Mission Impossible III," but when "Ghost Protocol" comes our way this December, Abrams will be stepping away from the director's seat in favor of a producer role. But don't worry: the mission is in the very capable hands of Brad Bird, the man ...

Brad Bird is one of several directors, including Ruben Fleischer and Edgar Wright, rumored to be on the shortlist to step in for 'Mission: Impossible 4."