Warner Bros. and MGM, the forces behind Mission Impossible, acted simultaneously. The news slandering Tom Cruise in the newspapers instantly disappeared, replaced by discussions about Mission Impossible, which was set to premiere on the day before Thanksgiving.
As a childhood memory for countless people, the adaptation of Mission Impossible had already captured the attention of many passersby even before filming began.
There were those who eagerly anticipated this classic TV series being revitalized in Kevin's hands, while others resisted, fearing that they would create a film that would ruin the classic.
Regardless of which perspective the audience took, Mission Impossible garnered attention.
With attention, whether it was criticism, curiosity, or admiration, they would all step into the cinema to see what it was all about...
Normally, a film is internally screened within the production team after completion, followed by preview screenings for invited critics if the word of mouth is good, and then the public release. The specific arrangement is adjusted based on the film itself.
However, as Mission Impossible was a commercial blockbuster without much depth, its target audience was clearly different from Kevin's previous two films, which included film critics.
Therefore, this time, everyone chose to release the film directly to the public, skipping the preview screening step.
Meanwhile, after consulting with Kevin and Paramount, an additional $10 million was allocated for advertising, ensuring that Mission Impossible posters would cover the corridors of major cinemas.
The media was also mobilized to promote the film with full force...
...
On the eve of Thanksgiving, Mission Impossible officially premiered in theaters.
Thanks to the extensive promotion, countless people chose to enter the cinema and experience the quality of this heavily advertised film. This time, Kevin also decided to go to the cinema and personally experience the audience's reaction to Mission Impossible.
Driver Chen Zhiwen waited in the car as Kevin and Angelina Jolie entered the backseat of the theater. With a change in appearance and Angelina Jolie's current lack of a major production, her fame was not as high.
Kevin didn't have to worry about being surrounded by fans.
The two of them quietly hid in the back row, waiting for Mission Impossible to begin.
Jolie nervously held Kevin's hand.
If the success of escaping from Get Out had given her a little bit of reputation in Hollywood, then the lead role in Mission Impossible in front of her was the true opportunity to make a name for herself.
Being the lead in a major commercial film was the shortcut to her stardom.
However, if Mission Impossible failed, it would be a devastating blow to her. Directors had the chance to make a comeback, but for an actress, a failure in a major production, especially someone like her who lacked strong backing, meant the end of her career.
She couldn't help but feel nervous.
...
"Mission Impossible, Tom Cruise's action-packed adventure film, sounds really exciting. I hope it doesn't disappoint us," said a man in his thirties, sitting in front of Kevin with his teenage son.
"Cruise!" The young boy waved his toy and shouted Cruise's name.
Although Cruise's biggest audience was female viewers, there were also a significant number of male fans. Apparently, the family sitting in front of Kevin were all fans of Cruise.
Beside the father and son, a muscular middle-aged man turned to his friend with a fierce expression and said, "If Steve Kevin ruins the reputation of Mission Impossible, I swear I'll beat him up."
Clearly, he was a fan of the Mission Impossible franchise.
The first wave of audience members who arrived at the theater were mostly fans of Cruise or the Mission Impossible series. Only when Mission Impossible received positive word-of-mouth from them would it attract more viewers.
Amidst the discussions among the audience, the movie officially began its public screening.
...
The movie began with Tom Cruise leading a CIA special agent team and immediately informing the audience about their mission through dialogue. Their mission was to capture a thief carrying an extremely confidential disc.
Abandoning all unnecessary plot elements, the movie quickly established the identity of the protagonist and the task at hand. The audience was seamlessly drawn into the world of the film as the scenes transitioned.
Once everything was set, Ethan, played by Tom Cruise, and his team began their operation. Meanwhile, the movie displayed scenes from within the CIA, revealing that this mission was orchestrated by the agency itself with the aim of capturing a traitor within the special agent team.
The scene then shifted to the location where Ethan's team was executing the mission. Just as they were about to complete their objective, a sudden turn of events occurred. Ethan realized they had fallen into an ambush, and the entire team, except for Ethan, was wiped out.
Simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of dollars from an unknown source were deposited into Ethan's account. The evidence led the CIA leadership to suspect that Ethan, the sole survivor, was the real mole.
Upon returning to the CIA headquarters and learning that he was the only survivor, Ethan also discovered the agency's suspicion towards him. Realizing he had been framed, Ethan swiftly used his skills and disguise abilities to escape from the CIA and embarked on a journey to clear his name.
As the movie reached this point, over half an hour had passed. Kevin, sitting in the back row, noticed that no one had gone to the restroom. Everyone's attention was fully captivated by the film. People were eager to find out how Ethan would clear his name and who the hidden traitor within the CIA was.
The theater remained silent, with only the sound of the movie's soundtrack filling the space. Kevin nodded in satisfaction. This was the effect he had aimed for, and he continued watching the film.
Escaping from the CIA, Ethan returned to the team's preparation base for the mission. There, he used the information he had acquired through his previous interactions with the leadership to successfully establish contact with a data broker named Max, posing as the mole.
At the same time, the team member Claire (played by Angelina Jolie) unexpectedly returned to the base. This raised suspicions in Ethan's mind, especially after hearing from the leadership that the entire team had been wiped out. He began to question whether Claire was the real mole.
However, due to Ethan's admiration for the beautiful Claire and his trust in his colleague, he didn't immediately confirm his suspicions.
Subsequently, Ethan met with Max as planned. Max, being an information broker, quickly realized that Ethan was not the mole within the CIA. But for Max, the only thing she needed was the disc. When Ethan proposed exchanging the disc for the true identity of the mole, Max decisively agreed.