Thanks to Spoiler TV for this story basically confirming that Mission: Impossible 4 is a go over at Paramount studios. Only this time, it looks like JJ Abrams, who directed MI:3 and most recently wowed audiences with his reinvention of the Star Trek franchise, may only be on board as a producer. Abrams is not yet committed to directing another installment, and with his prepping the next Star Trek film it'd be nearly impossible for him to meet the Mission targeted release date of 2011. Meanwhile, when not keeping Katie Holmes locked up on their compound, Tom Cruise is pretty busy himself with two films already in the works.
I'm going to project that the next Mission: Impossible film will be a "passing of the torch" type affair. Not to say that Cruise's Ethan Hunt character will be killed, but he might be playing less of a role. I can see somebody like a Ryan Reynolds coming in and making this more of a collaborative effort than we've seen in previous films. We shall see.
