Simon Pegg Confirms His Return as Benji in Mission: Impossible 7
We haven't seen the last of Benji Dunn. Simon Pegg has confirmed that he will be returning, at the very least, for Mission: Impossible 7. The movie is set to film later this year, with director Christopher McQuarrie, who helmed the previous two installments, set to return alongside franchise star Tom Cruise. The plan is to film two movies back-to-back, which means Mission: Impossible 8 is also well underway.
We've been getting casting updates somewhat steadily on the movie lately, and it's been something of a surprise that we haven't heard Simon Pegg's name come up. He first portrayed Benji in Mission: Impossible III and has since become a core star of the series. In an interview that was recorded back in December 2019, Simon Peggconfirmed that he is indeed going to appear in the next installment when asked what he's got coming up. For whatever reason, the news flew a bit under the radar until now. Here's what Pegg had to say.
The confirmation was quite casual, which is why we don't get any more details. For now, since the actor is speaking about the project in singular terms, we can't say for certain if he will appear in both Mission Impossible sequels, but that would seem likely.
That is, unless something bad is on the way for Benji in Mission: Impossible 7. Though, for the time being, we have no reason to suspect that's the case. In any case, a fan-favorite character will indeed be back, which is good news for those who have enjoyed what Ethan Hunt and the gang have been up to lately. Pegg has a couple of other projects in the works, including the thriller Inheritance, his new show with Nick Frost Truth Seekers and possibly Star Trek 4, if things work out.
Elsewhere, it's been confirmed by the Italian site that at least some filming will be taking place in Rome in March. Production could start before that, as Rome is sure to just be one stop on another globetrotting adventure, but that does mean cameras will begin rolling relatively soon. Plot details are still being kept under wraps.
Rebecca Ferguson, who will return as Ilsa Faust, is the only other returning cast member that has been confirmed. Others like Angela Bassett, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames and Michelle Mongnahan all seem possible, if not likely, but they haven't been confirmed yet. New cast members include Nicholas Hoult (Dark Phoenix), Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and Shea Whigham (American Hustle).
2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout went on to earn $787 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise to date. That motivated Paramount to lock down both Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise for more, and both sides decided to go the ambitious route with two more sequels. Mission: Impossible 7 is set to hit theaters on July 23, 2021, with Mission: Impossible 8 scheduled to arrive on August 5, 2020. Feel free to check out the full interview with Simon Pegg below. The Rome filming location news comes to us via Badtaste/
Source: movieweb.com