3Back to Homepage     mission: impossible III  Full Production Notes About Directing Style
4CHAPTERS About Tom Cruise Tom Cruise has achieved success as an actor and producer in a career spanning two and a half decades. About the Cast Ving Rhames, Philip S. Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Alexander, Keri Russell, Simon Pegg, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michelle Monaghan, Maggie Q About the Filmmakers J.J. Abrams, Paula Wagner, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Stratton Leopold, Dan Mindel, Scott Chambliss, Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey, Colleen Atwood, Michael Giacchino, Vic Armstrong, Roger Guyett, Dan Sudick.	J.J. Abrams, the creator of the groundbreaking television programs “Lost” and “Alias,” takes on his greatest challenge to date as co-writer and director of “Mission: Impossible III.”  After Brian de Palma and John Woo left their indelible marks on the first two films in the franchise, Cruise and Wagner sought out a new voice for the third film. “Making a `Mission: Impossible' is a different experience every time,” says Cruise. “We present Ethan Hunt from a different viewpoint. I love playing Ethan; each time out, we go on that `Mission' ride from a new perspective.  This is J.J. Abrams's vision, with his voice as a filmmaker.” “J.J. has earned his reputation as a television maestro,” says Wagner, “but I had known J.J. from his years as a feature film writer and his scripts were always written with the amazing eye of a director.  When Tom and I went back and watched the work he had directed - the pilot of `Lost' and his `Alias' work - Tom said, `This is it. This is the guy to direct `Mission: Impossible.'” “The instant I went into J.J.'s office, we clicked, both artistically and personally,” says Cruise.  “J.J.'s work has everything I love about movies: his characters, the personal stories, the twists and turns.  The first thing that I said to him was, `What would you do with this series? I want this to be a J.J. Abrams `Mission: Impossible.'” Abrams is a talent widely admired by audiences and critics alike; hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most exhilarating storytellers in television,” he recently won two Emmys - for best directing and best dramatic series - for his work on “Lost.” The production designer, Scott Chambliss, says that Abrams' television experience prepared him - and the rest of the crew - for a run-and-gun style of feature filmmaking.  “The last five years working with J.J. at that pace has been the perfect training to work with J.J. here. On `Alias,' we had to think on our feet and make choices quickly.  Then, on `M:i:III,' we had so many people so well versed in this format and this scale.  It was interesting to watch the integration between the TV guys and the guys who've been doing the big movies; we all figured out how to make a huge action movie in a very compressed time envelope.” “I don't think this film could have been done without J.J.,” says Philip Seymour Hoffman.  “He brings an incredible sense of humor, he's astonishingly bright and sharp, and he has a confidence about him that's absolutely necessary to steer the ship of `Mission: Impossible III.'  He has such a sure hand that we all trust him implicitly - he kept us on the right path.”	3Introduction 4CHAPTERS Movie Info Short Synopsis Full Cast & Crew List Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Ving Rhames, Philip S. Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Alexander, Michelle Monaghan, and more. Production History Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en) was slated to direct M:i:III but dropped out in favor of another film. About the Production  “M:I:III” delivers all of the incredible action and breathtaking stunts that moviegoers expect from the franchise. About Ethan Hunt In exploring that, the filmmakers created a new life for Ethan Hunt About the Villain Writing team took special care to create a villain worthy of Ethan Hunt. About the Team Let's talk about Ethan Hunt's IMF team members. About the Stunts and Action Sequences J.J. wanted to put his own stamp on the action sequences. About the Locations The locations were chosen because they were specifically part of the story. About the Theme The theme to “Mission: Impossible” is originally written by Lalo Schifrin, the theme sets the stage for all the action and suspense to come. About Directing Style This is J.J. Abrams's vision, with his voice as a filmmaker.