Tom Cruise permitted the use of Mission: Impossible references in Thelma. June Squibb will star as the eponymous character in the upcoming comedy movie, which debuts on June 21.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Thelma’s director, Josh Margolin, discussed how they got Cruise to sign off on the film’s use of Mission: Impossible material. “It came during production. We shot two versions of those scenes, one with Tom on (TVs and newspapers) and then one with a replaceable green box. It was surprisingly smooth,” he said. “Nicky Weinstock, a producer on the movie, was at the same agency as him and has some pals in common there. We ended up sending the scene in the script to give him a little context and then a clip of the table read. We got his sign-off, and then we went to Paramount, which I suspect made things a lot easier there.”
Thelma currently has a near-perfect score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The comedy has a fresh score of 99% based on nearly 99 reviews. The movie’s praise includes Awards Radar’s Joey Magidson referring to Thelma as the “sweetest mix of action, comedy, and senior citizens you’ll ever see.” Pajiba’s Sara Clements writes, “It’s a blast to watch June Squibb go on her own Mission: Impossible, as she laces up her orthopedic sneakers and kicks her mobility scooter into high gear to take down scammers. A total crowd-pleaser.”
Next Mission: Impossible Movie Teased to Be More Than a Spy Movie
Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning actor Shea Whigham has teased that the upcoming eighth installment of the long-running film franchise will be more than just an action spy movie. “People are going to be floored,” Whigham said, revealing that Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie made “this one like an adventure film” instead of an action or spy film. “So it’s going to be amazing,” he enthused.
Thelma premieres in theaters on June 21, 2024.
Source: THR