Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning came out a few weeks before Barbenheimer (remember that??). Thanks to that cultural phenomenon. Despite rave reviews from critics and audiences, the film quickly hit a ceiling and made over $200 million less than its predecessor. The lack of success caught the filmmakers and the studio off guard. Part One was removed from the movie's title and they went back into production on the sequel almost a year later, as filming had been postponed thanks to the SAG/WGA strike. But, will audiences return?

I don't think Barbenheimer was the only thing responsible for Mission: Impossible Seven's "smaller" box office. It's hit a problem I think any generational franchise would hit. The first film was released in 1996. While the current films aren't drowning in continuity, they also don't have the "anything goes" approach of the Fast And Furious films. Dead Reckoning used the movie's marketing to reference something from Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) past. It ended up being stuff filmed for the new movie, but for all new viewers knew, that meant they had to watch six movies to catch up.

Now, it looks like the franchise is going for a more definitive selling point: this is it! One last mission. It has been retitled as Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning. The end is near! Even though director Christopher McQuarrie has said this might not be the actual end. Ignore that! The stakes have never been higher, and Cruise and crew are underwater and out of time!

The trailer is pretty exciting. Cruise is running his ass off. All the familiar faces are back and older and smiling. Angela Bassett makes a triumphant return to the franchise after sitting out the last film. There is some insane action that involves a submarine. There's cool stuff! That being said, I barely remember what happened in the last film, only that it was funnier than usual and the AI plot allegedly scared Joe Biden something fierce.

Mission: Impossible Eight will open in a very different world than Seven. I'm curious to see if moviegoers will be interested in international espionage, no matter how action-packed. But then again, who the f*** knows?