Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible is an American action franchise developed from the 1966 to 1973 television series of the same name created by Bruce Geller, adapted for film beginning in 1996 with Tom Cruise starring as, and producing every installment as, the field agent Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Missions Force. Each film centers on elaborate espionage missions built around disguises, technological gadgets and set piece stunts, many of which Cruise has performed himself, including a free climb up a sheer rock face, a HALO parachute jump and a motorcycle leap off a cliff, and the series is closely associated with its self destructing mission briefings and its Lalo Schifrin composed theme music. Across more than two decades of films the franchise has grossed several billion dollars worldwide and is widely regarded within the industry as a showcase for large scale practical stunt work in an era increasingly dominated by digital effects.