For years Hollywood has been worried about the popularity of video games overtaking the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Well, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: the upcoming tentpole release Mission: Impossible 5 has just hired Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 writer Will Staples to pen the screenplay, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Iron Man 3 screenwriter Drew Pearce was originally set to write Mission: Impossible 5, but these things change throughout the development process. With a scheduled release date of December 25, 2015, however, it seems likely that Will Staples will be writing the draft that director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) will be going with.
Mission: Impossible 5 would be Will Staples’ first feature film screenwriting credit after having contributed to the scripts for video games Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Lair, Pursuit Force and Need for Speed: Rivals.
If you never played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, CraveOnline reviewed the story mode in 2011 and had this to say: “It’s less about the ups and downs and climax and more about a string of action vignettes until the credits roll. Exciting, yes, but it’s not how you go about telling a compelling narrative.”
Let’s hope this next one will be better!
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
