December 18, 1999:
   It's confirmed Metallica will do a song for the soundtrack of M:I2. Wall of Sound recently posted an article in which bassist Jason Newsted confirms the done deal.

   While most fans are spouting excited opinions about the recently release teaser trailer for 'Mission: Impossible 2,' there appears to be a debate brewing beneath the surface. A source at Paramount says that the studio is in disagreement with director John Woo and star/producer Tom Cruise over the eventual rating of the film. As things stand, Woo's current cut of the film will earn an R-rating and run about 132 minutes. In typical John Woo style, the cut is rich with violent action and even contains a provocative nude scene. Woo, being hand picked by Tom Cruise, had a contract with Paramount stating that he could, indeed, make an R-rated 'M:I2' if he was able to keep the film under 2 hours, maintain his given budget, and wrap things up in time for a December 17th release date. With the film now pushed back to Memorial Day of 2000.
   If Woo had been able to finish the film on time, Paramount would have likely released the film as an R-rated film despite the running time of 132 minutes. With a December release, the studio would have been less interested in competing for the younger PG-13 crowd that would be flocking to see the James Bond film. However, since the film has now exceeded its budget and been delayed, the studio is looking for a way to make it's money back and to keep a potential franchise alive. A Memorial Day weekend release for 'M:I-2' is the best way for Paramount to bank on the film, but only if an R-rating and a long running time do not impair it. The studio is trying to replicate the success of the original 'Mission: Impossible' which ran 105 minutes with a PG-13 rating and brought in over $180 million after it's Memorial Day weekend release.
    Given this new goal, John Woo has been asked to cut the film's length to around 2 hours and to trim the content to allow for a PG-13 rating (leading to a better box office total). Our source also mentions that Paramount has offered Woo final cut and unlimited resources on the next film he makes with the studio if he is able to reach these goals. Woo, being the uncompromising action director that he is, has a problem with the studio's demands. He and Cruise believe that his 132-minute cut of the film is excellent and the director claims that reducing the rating would mean cutting the film to about 96 minutes. If he is forced to make such a cut, Woo would likely remove his name from the project. Tom Cruise, looking to shed his pretty boy image and become an action star, supports Woo in the debate. However, given the disappointing box office numbers of 'Eyes Wide Shut' and his struggling production company, Cruise may not want to push the debate too far.
Source:
Inline First

December 5, 1999:
   This week saw the end of principal photography on the Mission: Impossible sequel. Of course, there can be additional footage and reshoots later on. Now the film will head into the editing room back in Los Angeles and will hopefully be finished until the premiere.  Source: The Hollywood Reporter.

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November 19, 1999:
   The official website for Tom Cruise and John Woo’s Mission: Impossible 2 is now active. The site features pictures from the film, links to the teaser trailer and promises of more to come. Check out the site by clicking here.

November 15, 1999:
   Production of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 is still going on. According to Variety columnist Army Archerd, Cruise, helmer John Woo and company are currently back down in Australia shooting pickups for the film. After finishing those up, plans are to head back to L.A. for blue screen sequences.

November 8, 1999:
   While talking of hiring cast and crew for Star Wars: Episode Two, producer Rick McCallum also told the Australian news what the production won’t do. McCallum used the much delayed and troubled production of Mission: Impossible 2 as an example saying that it was a "disaster... one of those films that tried to impose its will on Australian film industry culture." McCallum says that SW2 will not have the friction between American and Australian crews that caused problems with M:I2 resulting in the local technical crew leaving the production.

________________

October 25, 1999:
   Word has it that Tom Cruise shot a scene for Mission: Impossible 2 last week which had the beancounters back at Paramount shaking. According to NY Daily News gossip columnists Rush and Molloy, Cruise passed on using a stuntman for a scene where he had to scale the 1,500 foot tall sheer rock face of a mountain in Utah. Still, word has it that Crusie was held in place by an emergency tether, but that isn’t to say a fall wouldn’t leave the guy bruised… which almost happened. Cruise’s spokesperson, Pat Kingsley, revealed, "He did slip once. He lost his footing and was hanging by his hands."

October 25,1999:
   Spoiler Warning! Don’t read if you don’t want to know. Given that the revelation of the first Mission: Impossible movie was mostly unexpected, it’s not surprising to hear that Paramount is trying to keep wraps on the new film’s story… but something may have leaked out anyway. According to the November issue of Premiere, courtesy of NY Daily News gossip columnists Rush and Molloy) the film’s story has Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames and their new boss, Anthony Hopkins, trying to stave off a potential threat to release a lethal virus into the human population. Things go wrong when Cruise sends in Thandie Newton to seduce Dougray Scott.

________________

September 2, 1999:
   A strange rumor has popped up regarding the production of Mission: Impossible 2. According to New York Daily News gossip columnists Rush and Molloy, what appears to be a working flight simulator has turned up on the set for the film, intended for its star, Tom Cruise. Word has it that Cruise is trying to hone his own flying skills (he’s a licensed pilot). However; when his reps were approached about the fake airplane, the columnist were informed, "It's a specially built prop for the movie. People may play around in it off-camera. But it's for a scene."

September 1, 1999:
   It sounds like filmgoers weren’t the only ones impressed by the special effects razzle dazzle of The Matrix. According to Centropolis, Manex effects company that provided the bullet effects for The Matrix have been signed on to M:I2 and will be doing some effects for the troubled John Woo/Tom Cruise film. The effects supervisor for the film, Richard Yurichich (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner), is said to be using a number of effects studios for the film’s needs.

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August 26, 1999:
   Sounds like the Mission: Impossible 2 production is going to be making a quick trip to Utah to pick up a few shots and possible one big stunt... or perhaps not on the latter. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the producers of the film contacted the Utah State Parks and Recreation board for permission to do a parachute stunt at Dead Horse Point (where the finale of Thelma and Louise was shot), but were turned down. Now, they’re asking for the Utah folks to reconsider. There will be some filming there though, which is scheduled for October. The stunt in question involves what is called BASE jumping, which requires the participant to jump off a cliff or bridge or building and open their chute before they go splat. The main concern is that others will come to the location and try to emulate the movie’s BASE jumping.

________________

July 21, 1999:
   It sounds like those stories of production delays and difficulties regarding Tom Cruise and John Woo’s Mission: Impossible 2 might be true with word that Paramount will release the film later than originally planned. According to Variety, the film, which was scheduled to hit screens this December 13th, will now make it to theaters on Wednesday, May 24th, 2000. The trade is also reporting that as a result, the Steven Spielberg directed Minority Report starring Cruise for DreamWorks/20th Century Fox will also get pushed back. One can't help but wonder how this change will effect Spielberg's full plate of projects.
   The most recent release date for Minority Report was to be June 30, 2000. Fox does not want two new Cruise films out within a little over a months time.
   This change of plans might work for M:I 2, the first film having been a summer movie. Other films that are said to be in the running for release around the same time would be Disney’s Dinosaurs as well as Fox’s Farrelly Bros. created Me, Myself and Irene starring Jim Carrey, each a unique film.
   No doubt, the recent production problems and delays are instrumental in Paramount’s decision to move M:I 2 back. Most recently, Monday’s Insider reported on the most recent difficulties of the production with word that locations in Australia could not be used to simulate a Spanish location which in turn may prompt the production to move to Fox studios in Mexico at the Baja peninsula.

July 19, 1999:
   It just seems as if Tom Cruise and John Woo’s production of Mission: Impossible 2 can’t get a break. In a story reported in the Australia’s Sunday Telegraph comes word that the production is "running behind schedule with key scenes from the film unfinished." One of the scenes is described as a "spectacular Spanish car chase scene" which could not be shot because no suitable locations could be found. The film, which is scheduled to finish up shooting on August 27th, may be headed back North America with new plans to finish production at Fox Studios in Rosarito on the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.

________________

May 19, 1999:
   In a follow-up to rumors of more trouble on Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 project comes word that Australian cinematographer Andrew Lesnie has departed from the production. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lesnie left the production last week due to "stylistic differences" with director John Woo. A spokesperson for the production told the trade, "It was all very amicable and no reflection whatsoever on Andrew. John has a certain way of shooting and a certain speed, and Andrew had his way, and happily they agreed to part company." Furthermore, there’s word that American cinematography Jeffrey Kimball (Stigmata, Wild Things) has signed on to replace Lesnie.

May 17, 1999:
   One has to wonder if Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 will ever get finished if we're to believe a recent rumor that popped up about the production in the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column. According to the column, the star was said to not be happy with the way he looked in some of the recent dailies. Furthermore, as a result, three cameramen have been fired. I’ll see what I can find out and get back to you.

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April 27, 1999:
   Forget those rumors that suggested Anthony Hopkins was retiring from the movie biz, because the gifted thespian is jumping into Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 project. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Hopkins will take on the role of Cruise’s boss. The trade reports that Ian McKellan had previously been in talks to take the role but that fell through. There’s no word on how large the part will be or whether the character has a darker side along the lines of Jon Voight in the original film, though McKellan had been rumored to have been cast in a villainous role in the film at one time.
   After numerous delays, Mission: Impossible 2 has finally started filming in Australia with John Woo at the helm.

April 22, 1999:
   Tom Cruise has his latest Mission: Impossible 2 nemesis. Actor Brendan Gleeson, who won critical acclaim for his portrayal of a vicious crime boss in The General, has been tapped to fill the part of a two-faced British mogul likened by The Hollywood Reporter to Rupert Murdoch (hey, didn't James Bond just fight that guy?). Also of note, the trade does list Ian McKellen as a member of the cast despite previous suggestions from the actor himself that his participation was uncertain. Filming on Mission: Impossible 2 is underway at Fox Studios Australia, with a December 17th release date targeted by Paramount.

April 19, 1999:
   Mission: Impossible 2
is back on track Down Under, with principal photography reportedly beginning today in Sydney. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the shoot will last 88 days, and that the film's budget will tally around $80 million. Paramount President John Goldwyn told the trade that the extra month of preparation earned when crew members were sent home before the previous March 20th start date has benefited the production greatly. "Prep days are cheaper than shoot days," Goldwyn said, later admitting that "there were issues about the script." The project will now move forward with Robert Towne's rewrite completed and Rada Serbedziga (Eyes Wide Shut) in the cast. Interestingly, Ian McKellen is not listed as a cast member.

April 7, 1999:
   After numerous delays, it looks like shooting will finally start this weekend on Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2. The Sydney Morning Herald (via the Dark Horizons website) reports that filiming will happen this Saturday at "the Randwick race course." The website also reports that there is an open casting call for anyone to attend, though you’ll still have to pay $10 to get in.

April 5, 1999:
   Based on previous reports, we know that Tom Cruise has promised Steven Spielberg that he will finish up Mission: Impossible 2 in time to get back to Hollywood and the Minority Report project. Now, according to the BBC, Cruise has sorted out his M:I2 problems in Australia and is confident that shooting on the beleaguered production will finally start this month. The Beeb also reports that last month crew was sent home indefinitely pending script changes and set construction.

________________

March 26, 1999:
   Previous reports have said that the delays on Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 were the results of layoffs of prod staff as well as art departments in Australia. Now, Mr. Showbiz columnist Jeffrey Wells alleges that the real reason for the delay was because Paramount was "freaking out about the projected $135 million budget and was unwilling to give the show a final green-light until director John Woo agreed to cut it down some." Furthermore, Wells reports that even as filming has commenced, the film’s script is still being written by Robert Towne. He suggests that Towne is trying to incorporate a "Casablanca-style love story subplot concerning Cruise's character" into the previously written material.

March 9, 1999:
   One thing a production needs in order to get off the ground is a shooting script, and that's exactly what Mission: Impossible 2 doesn't have, according to a Variety report. Not long after Tom Cruise's arrival in Australia to begin production on Mission: Impossible 2, photography has been pushed back a few weeks from the initial March 20 date. Filming is now expected to commence at either the end of the month or the beginning of April.
   "The film has gone back a few weeks, but it is still absolutely going ahead,'' said film spokeswoman Fiona Searson told the trade. "A few people have been laid off because it was fully crewed, but since it's been put back there would be no need for them right now although all heads of department are still employed.''
   Reasons for the delay beyond script troubles were not addressed, though recent Internet rumors have suggested everything from budget issues to director John Woo possibly leaving the project.

March 9, 1999:
   Mission: Impossible 2
's screenplay troubles are not only preventing the start of principal photography, but they are also keeping Oscar nominated actor Ian McKellen from committing to the project. This morning on the Howie Mandel Show, when the thesp was told to talk about the Tom Cruise actioner as if it were definitely his next project, he quipped, "Is that so? I haven't read the script yet, but everyone tells me I'm going to do it."

March 3, 1999:
   Cinescape reader ‘Mr. E’ sent in some info that he found in Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in Sydney, Australia. Within the paper was a small advertisement from the Mission: Impossible II production company looking for extras. Here are the details according to Mr. E:

"This was printed in Wednesday 'The Daily Telegraph ' newspaper in Sydney on Page 15 in a small advert. space..
"FILM EXTRAS REQUIRED
"Mission: Impossible II
"Paramount Pictures (Australia) Pty Ltd are currently searching for Mediterranean looking film extras for the feature film Mission: Impossible II for the filming of a spectacular Spanish 'Festival of Fire' street scene proposed to be shot in Sydney during April-May. Filming will be over 1-2 nights."..........
"A casting session is being held this Saturday. Unfortunately as I am of English heritage I won't get in but maybe one of your readers will!"

   Meanwhile, the Dark Horizons website has also posted more specifics of the call that say:

"If you are aged 16-75yrs and are entitled to work in Australia, we invite you to a casting session on:
"Saturday 6th march 1999, between 10am-2pm
"At: Medina Classic Randwick, 63-65 St Marks Road, Randwick (access from Chapel Street)
"Please bring you tax file number with you!"

________________

February 26, 1999:
   It seems that Cruise/Wagner Productions will use local talent to fill out their movie when Mission: Impossible 2 begins filming in Australia. Producer Paula Wagner confirmed that Australian thesp Richard Roxburgh is now in talks for a part in the film, when speaking with the Daily Telegraph last week. "We really, right now, are in the midst of casting, so there are going to be a number of roles for Australians," she added.
   In a statement that seems to imply that M:I 2 is not the last film planned for the franchise, the paper says Wagner indicated that it has always been Tom Cruise's intention to give the "film series" an international flavor. Meanwhile, director John Woo is apparently enjoying his stay in Oz. "A long time ago I heard people said the most wonderful crew you could find is here," he said.

February 18, 1999:
   Mission: Impossible 2
will lens entirely in Sydney and New South Wales, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Confirming word from the Insider's sources Down Under, the trade revealed that the Tom Cruise-starring actioner will incorporate Sydney into the film's plot. The budget is currently slated at $80 million, though rumors suggest that director John Woo has petitioned Paramount for additional funds.
   The BBC reports that one-third of the film will be shot at Fox Studios Australia, while the rest of the lensing will take place in the streets of Sydney (and near the city's harbor) as well as in the Outback town of Broken Hill, as previously mentioned by the Insider. The BBC also reports confirmation on Dougray Scott's status as a villain in the picture, which was called into doubt when Ian McKellan signed on for a turn as the lead bad guy. Filming is scheduled from March 20th to the end of August.

February 18, 1999:
   Rumors have sprung up across the Web recently insisting that Mission: Impossible 2 director John Woo has either left the Tom Cruise action vehicle, or is threatening to do so if Paramount does not allow him to expand the film's budget.
   One of the Insider's pals Down Under, 'Fabio2', passed along word that the nation's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported recently that the Hong Kong director had arrived in Sydney to begin lensing. The Insider is aware that the report doesn't rule out the possibility that Woo left the project after arriving in Sydney, but that would seem unlikely. However, I'll do more digging and see what turns up ...

February 8, 1999:
   With Mission: Impossible 2 scheduled to begin photography in Sydney come the first of March, it comes as no surprise to hear that preparations have been going on Down Under for the filming. Word comes to the Insider, via my pal Fabio2, that the Australian trade paper Encore recently ran an item that suggested location scouting for the action sequel had taken place in the country's Outback region. Specifically, production representatives were said to be looking at an area near the town of Broken Hill. Previous reports have indicated that John Woo may have shot some action sequence footage for M:I2 in the Spanish city of Seville. As the Insider previously revealed, Paramount plans to release the movie later this year, on Decemeber 17th.

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January 26, 1999:
   Casting some doubt on rumors that Dougray Scott would be playing the heavy in Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 comes word that Ian McKellen (Gods and Monsters) may play the film’s villain. According to the Hollywood Reporter, McKellen is in talks to play the film’s main evildoer. Shooting for the film is scheduled to start in early March.

January 20, 1999:
   While reports have surfaced saying that Mission: Impossible 2 has been filming action sequences in the Spanish city Seville, one of my Australian spies tells me that plans are in place for the production to begin a round of lensing in Fox Studios Australia come the first week of February. Unsurprisingly, the buzz has John Woo set to give the sequel a starkly different visual style than what we saw in the first movie, which allegedly includes the look of the IMF costuming. My source says the city of Sydney will also be featured in the story, though it will not be the main setting.
   The official release date of M:I2 is now December 17.

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