SEOUL – Tom Cruise has done it again, proving his global star power as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning stormed to the top of the South Korean box office with a commanding $5.4 million debut over the May 16–18 weekend. The eighth installment in the high-octane action franchise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, nabbed a 66.63% market share, drawing 759,363 admissions across 2,385 screens, per Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s tracking service. Including previews, the film has grossed $5.5 million with 762,955 total admissions, cementing Cruise’s enduring appeal in a market where he’s a regular draw.
The film, marketed as Ethan Hunt’s final mission, follows 2023’s Dead Reckoning and sees Cruise’s IMF agent battling a rogue AI, the Entity, in a globe-spanning race to avert catastrophe. With jaw-dropping stunts—like a biplane dogfight over South Africa and an underwater submarine sequence—the movie delivers the franchise’s signature adrenaline rush. Early word-of-mouth in Korea is strong, with social media posts comparing its reception to an A CinemaScore and projecting a $35–40 million total run. “#TheFinalReckoning crushed it, in #1 grossing strong $3.1M on unusual SAT Opening Day,” noted one industry observer, with Sunday adding $2.4 million despite a 21% drop.
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Korea’s love for Cruise is no surprise. The star has visited the country multiple times, including a promotional stop for Dead Reckoning, which scored Hollywood’s second-best opening there in 2023 with $9.75 million. The Final Reckoning’s debut outpaced Dead Reckoning’s Saturday opening ($3.2 million) and comes close to Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s $6.7 million Saturday haul in 2018. Cruise, joined by co-stars Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg, returned to Korea for this film’s rollout, premiering it on May 17, six days ahead of its U.S. release, a move that fueled buzz and packed theaters.
The film’s Korean success is part of a broader international wave. Opening in Japan and India alongside Korea, The Final Reckoning has already pocketed $11.5 million across these markets, with India contributing nearly $4 million and Japan over $2 million. In India, the film notched the biggest Hollywood opening of 2025, earning ₹17.5 crore ($2.1 million) on its first day, a 42% jump over Dead Reckoning’s debut there. This early international haul is a promising sign for a movie carrying a hefty $400 million budget, one of the priciest in Hollywood history. Analysts estimate it needs to hit $1 billion globally to break even, a tall order after Dead Reckoning’s $570 million underperformance.
Korea’s box office saw a surge this weekend, with the top 10 films generating $8.8 million, thanks to The Final Reckoning’s dominance. The local crime thriller Yadang: The Snitch, which held No. 1 for four weeks, slipped to second with $820,055 and 116,846 admissions, pushing its total to $21.8 million. Smaller releases, like the South Korean documentary Meet Again, Homeland, debuted at No. 10 with $51,631 from 7,577 admissions. But Cruise’s spectacle clearly ruled, with urban multiplexes reporting high occupancy, especially for English-language IMAX screenings.
The cast, including Atwell as Grace, Ving Rhames as Luther, Pegg as Benji, and Angela Bassett as President Erika Sloane, adds emotional weight to the action. Fan-favorite moments, like callbacks to the 1996 original with Rolf Saxon’s William Donloe, have sparked cheers, while Cruise’s real stunts—hanging off biplanes and diving into a sunken sub—earned praise. “The stunts in the bi-planes flying over the South African coast are particularly stunning, and amazing to know that Cruise is literally hanging on those planes himself,” one viewer raved on IMDb. However, some critics note the film’s 80% Rotten Tomatoes score, the lowest since 2007’s Mission: Impossible III, citing its 170-minute runtime and heavy exposition. Collider called it “the biggest, longest, and often, most ridiculous M:I so far,” though its “exhilarating, nail-biting” tension still won over audiences.
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Korea’s early release, a strategic move by Paramount and Skydance, capitalizes on Cruise’s fan base and the franchise’s global appeal, which has grossed over $4.09 billion across seven films. The series, a rare non-superhero action saga, thrives on Cruise’s daredevil persona, and his promotional nod to Indian fans—hinting at a future Bollywood-style project—shows his knack for connecting with international markets. With the U.S. release set for Memorial Day weekend, projections peg a $100 million four-day opening, potentially topping Fallout’s $61.23 million franchise record. A clash with Disney’s Lilo & Stitch looms, but the films’ different genres should minimize overlap.
For now, The Final Reckoning is a win for Korea’s box office, jolting theaters with Cruise’s brand of old-school action. Whether it’s Ethan Hunt’s last ride remains unclear—both Cruise and McQuarrie have teased more missions, inspired by Harrison Ford’s late-career Indiana Jones run. But with fans flocking to see Cruise defy gravity one more time, Mission: Impossible is proving it’s still a force to be reckoned with. Catch it in IMAX for the full, heart-pounding effect—this is one mission worth accepting.
Source: Variety