Mission: Impossible 3 Wraps Principal Photography in Shanghai November 29  12/6/05

'Mission: Impossible III' Wraps Principal Photography in Shanghai November 29

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- 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. "Mission: Impossible III" 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.

Tom Cruise has achieved unprecedented success as an actor and producer in a career spanning over two decades. He is a three-time Academy Award(R) nominee whose films have earned, in box-office alone, in excess of six billion dollars worldwide.

Paramount Pictures presents a Cruise/Wagner production, "Mission: Impossible III." The film is directed by J.J. Abrams, from a screenplay 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.

About Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment news, sports and music.

SOURCE Paramount Pictures

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