Though its release date was shifted from Christmas to mid-summer 2015, it seems that Paramount may now be having cold feet about the upcoming Tom Cruise-led Mission Impossible 5, having shuttered production while the creative team scrambles to rework what is reported to be a problematic ending, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sources close to the production have reported that the original finale was deemed “unsatisfactory”, so filming recently shut down for a week or so to allow director Christopher McQuarrie time to consult with an unnamed writer colleague to craft a better ending for the latest installment in the franchise. The anonymous writer will reportedly be neither paid nor credited on the finished film.
This isn’t the first time that Paramount has had a last-minute shut-down for a rewrite. 2013’s zombie thriller, World War Z took a similar tack, closing up shop to draft a new third act. Despite the release being pushed back numerous times, the film, starring Brad Pitt, became a hit once it finally hit theaters.