Despite everything that went on with Tom Cruise and Paramount three years ago, when just after the release of Mission Impossible III, Cruise was publicly fired from his lucrative studio contract due to the media spotlight surrounding his relationship with Katie Holmes, a working friendship has once again been established and a fourth movie in the MIfranchise is officially on according to Variety. The film is aiming for a 2011 release. Though strangely, Tom Cruise is currently only listed as a producer and there is no mention in the trades that he will reprise the role of Ethan Hunt. Will this be a passing of the torch movie, with only a brief cameo for the Cruise-meister? I wouldn't have thought so, Cruise is the star and the money of the franchise and we all know he needs a big hit right now, so it's probably just a case of getting his schedule clear. We know he's got a romantic drama with Cameron Diaz setup at Fox for James Mangold to direct, and then he's awaiting on a rewrite for the David Cronenberg blockbuster The Matarese Circle that he will make with Denzel Washington... one of those might have to be sacrificed for this, probably the Cronenberg picture which seems to have already been delayed. J.J. Abrams, who made his feature film directorial debut with the last movie, the best of the series and one of the better movies of 2006, is also only scheduled to produce. More questions than answers at this point, but I'm happy to hear that Cruise/Abrams have another story to deal here with this character. Let's just hope it's handled as smartly as the last film.