Filed under: News
Deadline.com is reporting that 'Precious' actress Paula Patton has landed the female lead role in the fourth installment of the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise.
The Los Angeles native will play a young operative who works with Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt character. The film will not be called 'Mission: Impossible 4.' Cruise and JJ Abrams, who hatched the project together, always envisioned it as a franchise reboot. The film begins production in the fall with Brad Bird directing Cruise, who'll co-star with 'The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner in what was another hotly contested role.
Patton, who was recently cast as the new Assistant District Attorney for the NBC drama series 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,' apparently beat out actresses Lauren German and Kristen Kreuk for the coveted spot.
Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are also returning to the franchise.
Patton, who is married to singer/ songwriter Robin Thicke and gave birth to their son Julian Fuego this past April, just completed shooting the romantic film, 'Jumping The Broom.' Directed by television helmer Salim Akil ('Girlfriends'), the film also stars Angela Bassett, Laz Alonso, Mike Epps, Loretta Devine, Meagan Good, Tasha Smith, DeRay Davis, Julie Bowen, Romeo Miller, Gary Dourdan, Pooch Hall, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Valarie Pettiford.
Her last film, 'Just Wright,' which starred Queen Latifah and Common comes out on DVD on September 14.
The new Mission: Impossible is planned for a December 16, 2011 release.