Mission: Impossible 3 News Central

Quigley Amazed at Getting Cruise Flick

Actress Maggie Quigley said she was seriously ill when she auditioned for "Mission: Impossible III" and was amazed that she got a key role in the film starring Tom Cruise, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Sunday.

Quigley, who lives in Hong Kong, said she found out she got the part when a floral basket arrived at her Los Angeles hotel with a card saying, "Welcome. Here's to a great mission," the South China Morning Post reported. Cruise's signature was the first one on the card, it said.

Quigley, known as Maggie Q in Hong Kong, where she got her acting start, plays Zhen, a member of Cruise's team of agents that hunts down an arms dealer.

The former model said she had to overcome a reputation of being a "giggly model" who made "cheesy films, bad films, OK films."

When she auditioned for "Mission: Impossible III," she said she was in the early stages of a kidney infection.

"I landed in L.A., alone, terrified, sick as a dog," she was quoted as saying. "I was so ill, I could barely remember what it was I had to do. I had uncontrollable shaking one minute, and I was sweating the next. But I realized right then I had 10 minutes to change my life. Either you bring it or you don't."

Quigley also starred in the comedy "Rush Hour 2" and Jackie Chan's "Around the World in 80 Days.

Movie Promotion Confused With Bomb in L.A.

A newspaper promotion for Tom Cruise's upcoming "Mission: Impossible III" got off to an explosive start when a county arson squad blew up a news rack, thinking it contained a bomb.

The confusion: the Los Angeles Times rack was fitted with a digital musical device designed to play the "Mission: Impossible" theme song when the door was opened. But in some cases, the red plastic boxes with protruding wires were jarred loose and dropped onto the stack of newspapers inside, alarming customers.

Sheriff's officials said they rendered the news rack in this suburb 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles "safe" after being called to the scene Friday by a concerned individual who thought he'd seen a bomb.

Times officials said the devices were placed in 4,500 randomly selected news boxes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in a venture with Paramount Pictures designed to turn the "everyday news rack experience" into an "extraordinary mission."

It was just that, at least for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arson squad, which destroyed the box.

"This was the least intended outcome. We weren't expecting anything like this," said John O'Loughlin, the Times' senior vice president for planning.

Cruise's "Spectacular" Sex Life

Tom Cruise enjoys a "spectacular" sex life with his pregnant fiancee Katie Holmes, because they have such good communications skills. The Hollywood actor reveals his sex secrets in the May issue of GQ magazine, declaring the physical act is a "by-product" of a successful pairing.

Cruise enthuses, "Sex is about the connection. Great sex is a by-product, for me, of a great relationship, where you have communication and it's an extension of that. Where it's just free. And that's how it should be. It's spectacular. If you're not in good communication with your partner, it sucks. (Meaningless sex outside of a relationship) is really horrible and pathetic and lonely."

Cruise Plans to Marry Holmes This Summer

American actor Tom Cruise told Germany's leading tabloid in its Monday edition that he wanted to tie the knot this summer with fiancee Katie Holmes, after the birth of their baby and the upcoming release of his new film, "Mission Impossible III."

Cruise was in Germany to plug the film on the country's popular "Wetten Dass ..." ("I'll Bet ...") TV show. He said on the show Saturday that two pilots were at the ready to fly him home should Holmes go into labor. "If Katie calls, I'm gone," Cruise said, insisting that he wanted to be present at the birth of their first child.

Cruise confirmed to Bild that he and Holmes planned to marry in the coming months. "First the baby, then the film," he was quoted as saying. "Then, in summer, we want to get married. I won't let this woman get away."

Cruise top moneymaking star of 2005, poll says

Actor Tom Cruise led a poll of movie exhibitors aimed at determining the top 10 moneymaking stars of 2005. Cruise, who appeared in last year's "War of the Worlds," has won the annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co. seven times, Arnold Robinson, the actor's publicist, said Thursday. Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Bing Crosby have all snatched the No.1 spot five times.

The Quigley Poll, conducted every year since 1932, asks motion picture exhibitors to vote for the 10 stars who generated the most boxoffice revenue for their theaters. Johnny Depp finished second in the 2005 poll. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt tied for third, followed by Vince Vaughn, George Clooney, Will Smith, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and last year¿s winner Tom Hanks. (AP)

Stuntman Sues Cruise Over 'Impossible' Injuries

A stuntman is suing Tom Cruise's production company for negligence after he received severe burns on the set of Mission: Impossible 3. Steven Scott Wheatley filed suit against Paramount Pictures and Cruise's production company Cruise/Wagner Productions at Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday.

Wheatley received burns over 60 per cent of his body last June, when the stunt "malfunctioned" and a "gasoline bomb" exploded, covering him "in this ball of fire," the suit claims. The stuntman and his wife Mary are claiming the film companies' negligence caused him "severe personal injury" and are asking for unspecified damages. Internet news site TMZ.com reports the couple are also suing for loss of consortium - which means the inability of one spouse to have normal marital relations.

Cruise Attacks Psychiatric Drugs Again

Tom Cruise is attacking those who prescribe psychiatric drugs again in the May issue of men's style magazine GQ. The Mission: Impossible III actor, who embarked on an anti-drug tirade in TV interviews last summer on behalf of his Scientology beliefs, has launched a fresh attack on psychiatry, calling for prescription pill poppers to think carefully about the harms they're doing to their bodies. He tells the magazine, "I've always found the 'if it makes me feel better, it's OK' rationale a little suspect. I think it's appalling that people have to live a life of drug addiction when I have personally helped people get off drugs." In the interview, the actor claims he can get someone off heroin in three days through Scientology's detox programs.

Cruise Gets Romantic

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has purchased the rights to a romantic love story as his next potential film project. The actor and his production company partners have fallen for Serendipity writer Marc Klein's untitled contemporary love story. Don Granger, an executive at Cruise's production company Cruise/Wagner, says, "We believe Marc Klein has come up with an original and very moving love story." Cruise has recently completed filming Mission: Impossible 3.

New International M:i:III Poster

Paramount Pictures has provided ComingSoon.net with a new German poster for Mission: Impossible III, coming to theaters on May 5.

In the action-thriller, directed by J.J. Abrams Lost, Alias), Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life.

The sequel also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell and Maggie Q. You can view this international poster and more photos here.

New M:i:III Site, Pics, Rating and More!

Paramount Pictures has launched the official new website for director J.J. Abrams' Mission: Impossible III, hitting theaters May 5th. The action-thriller stars Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell and Maggie Q.

At MissionImpossible.com, you can get tons of new downloads, learn about the movie, watch videos, join the global hunt and more!

The sequel has just been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence & menace, disturbing images & some sensuality by the Motion Picture Association of America.

In related news, SoundtrackNet has posted a new article on the scoring sessions for "M:i:III," which features music by Michael Giacchino (Lost, Alias). There's even pictures of Tom Cruise conducting the orchestra and Dermot Mulroney playing cello.

M:i:III Wraps Principal Photography

Source: Paramount Pictures December 6, 2005

Principal photography wrapped in Shanghai on Mission: Impossible III on November 29, two days ahead of schedule. Production began in Italy on July 12, 2005.

Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams stayed on to hold a press conference for the Chinese media on November 30.

At the conference, Cruise said, "It's the first time I have visited this spectacular city and our work here went very smoothly. We worked at terrific speed."

They also spoke about how impressed they were with the competence of the Chinese movie crews and how well the two nationalities worked together.

Abrams told media that "close to 20% of the movie takes place in China." Shanghai is the setting for the most dramatic stunt in the film.

Mission: Impossible III is the first large-scale American film to showcase contemporary Shanghai. Filming also took place in the ancient fishing village of Xitang, which gives a fascinating contrast between ancient and modern China never before seen on the screen.

Mission: Impossible III stars Tom Cruise and is directed by J.J. Abrams. The film also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, and Maggie Q. The action thriller was shot on location in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The film is scheduled for release May 5, 2006.

Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life in Mission: Impossible III. Director J. J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) brings his unique blend of action and drama to the billion-dollar franchise.

Cruise kicked off Mission: Impossible III on the heels of his latest box office smash, War of the Worlds, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and opened worldwide June 29 to rave reviews. To date, War of the Worlds has grossed over $580 million worldwide.

The screenplay was written by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & J.J. Abrams, based on the television series created by Bruce Geller. The film is produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner.

Mission: Impossible 3 Shooting in China in November

According to Variety, industry people in China say Mission: Impossible 3 is set to shoot for up to a month in Shanghai in November. The film's climactic final scenes will apparently be lensed in the cultural capital of China.

The country will also be used for a fair proportion of the pre-production work, some plate shots and other second unit work.

Locals suggest the film, being helmed by first-time feature director J.J. Abrams for Cruise/Wagner and Paramount, will spend up to $10 million of its reported $150 million budget in China.

While it is an open secret in China that the pic and star Tom Cruise will be in town, attempts to confirm this on the record have met with regular denials. Chinese insiders say the wall of silence can be maintained because the pic does not appear to be partnering with a local studio.

The denials may also be explained by hesitation over the spectacular nature of the planned scenes.

"I know that they've had issues about a helicopter, but I simply cannot believe that the Shanghai authorities will not move mountains to make sure that this film happens on their turf," said a China-based production executive.

Asian-American Maggie Q (Rush Hour 2, Around The World in 80 Days) recently joined the cast, which also includes Keri Russell, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michelle Monaghan. Source: Variety

Tom Cruise Begins Filming Mission: Impossible 3

Tuesday, July 12th, 2005, Source: Associated Press

Tom Cruise started shooting scenes for Mission: Impossible 3 in Rome on Tuesday by whizzing past the camera in a speedboat on the river Tiber.

Fans looked on from a bridge near Castel Sant'Angelo as the star sped under them to film the third installment in the action-adventure series, which is a remake of a popular 1960s TV show.

The boats that usually ship locals and tourists along the river, as well as all other traffic, were barred from the historic waterway for the day, said Battelli di Roma, a company running ferries on the Tiber.

Several scenes in the movie are set in Rome, Italian news reports said. After filming a motorboat chase on the Tiber, shooting will move near St. Peter's Square and in the area around the Trevi Fountain, La Repubblica daily said.

Before stepping into the speedboat, Cruise kissed and embraced actress Katie Holmes on the riverside set. The two became engaged last month after Cruise proposed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Mission: Impossible 3 is directed by J.J. Abrams, one of the creators of ABC's "Lost" and "Alias," and is produced by Cruise and his partner, Paula Wagner. The movie will feature Cruise and co-stars Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michelle Monaghan and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It is set for release on May 5, 2006.

The first Mission: Impossible movie came out in 1996 and was directed by Brian De Palma. John Woo directed Mission: Impossible 2, released in 2000. Mission: Impossible 3 hits theaters on May 5th, 2006.