Fact Finder - Movies

The first 'Mission: Impossible' film in 1996 launched a franchise that would eventually become defined by its star's willingness to perform life-threatening stunts. Directed by Brian De Palma, the film grossed $457 million. While the first film relied more on suspense and espionage, it established Tom Cruise as a producer-star with creative control. Over the next 25 years, the series became a blockbuster anomaly by moving away from CGI as much as possible, featuring Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa and strapping himself to the side of a plane. It proved that in an era of digital effects, 'real' danger still holds a unique fascination for audiences.