As the old saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention”, and that certainly held true when the creative minds behind action-packed Mission: Impossible II found themselves looking to the Star Trek universe for some visionary inspiration.
Have you ever wondered who helped transform this single film into a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut? Enter Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga, the writing wizards who mesmerized us with their 1996 hit movie Star Trek: First Contact. This film not only brought out the wildest imaginations of Star Trek aficionados but also caught the keen eye of Cruise himself.
The actor, along with his then-producing partner Paula Wagner, enlisted Moore and Braga to rewrite the script for Mission: Impossible 2 after talks with the movie’s original writer, David Marconi, fell through.
The Unlikely Connection: How Star Trek Saved Mission: Impossible 2
Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, but it’s never been easy to forget that it almost didn’t happen. Yes, the story of how the franchise nearly missed its mark is as intriguing as the film’s jaw-dropping stunts. Thanks to the unlikely duo of Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga; they were plucked from the world of Star Trek to save the day.
Flashback to 1996, when Moore and Braga were riding high on the success of Star Trek: First Contact. Their work on the iconic sci-fi hit caught the eye of Paramount executives, who were on the hunt for a savior for the struggling Mission: Impossible 2 script. The studio had hit a roadblock after original writer David Marconi’s departure, and the pair of Star Trek scribes were just the heroes they needed.
Moore recounted to The Hollywood Reporter:
We had been approached by Don Granger [the feature exec on Star Trek at the time]. He called us and said, ‘Hey, we’re having trouble getting M:I-2 off the ground. I think you and Brannon might be good candidates to help.
Mission: Impossible 2 stood out like a sore thumb in the franchise. Directed by John Woo, the film was unforgettable for its bike-jousting escapades, doves flying through scenes for no apparent reason, and Cruise’s iconic bare-handed mountain climb.
Star Trek: First Contact vs. Forrest Gump: A Test-Screening Showdown
Star Trek: First Contact and Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump are two iconic films that have left a lasting impact on audiences, each dazzling like a shining star in their own right. But who would have thought that a film about the complexities of time travel and alien encounters would outshine a heartwarming tale of a simple man’s extraordinary life?
Indeed, Star Trek: First Contact managed to outshine Forrest Gump in a spectacular category: test-screening scores, as Ronald D. Moore recalled (via THR):
First Contact came out in November 1996, and a Paramount exec who worked on it approached us shortly after the premiere, in December.
Per the outlet, the buzz surrounding First Contact was nothing short of stellar, boasting the best test-screening scores in Paramount’s history—surpassing even their golden child, Forrest Gump. This was no small feat!
And just like in a Hollywood script, the success of this Star Trek flick opened doors for Moore and Brannon Braga, leading them to a new adventure with Mission: Impossible 2. It was like winning the lottery twice in a row – a rare feat in the cutthroat world of Tinseltown.
And speaking of Tom Cruise, it turns out he’s not just a pretty face with killer stunts – he’s actually a creative genius. The collaboration between him and the writers led to some of the film’s most memorable moments, like the mid-air plane hijack and the ‘Chimera’ virus. Moore disclosed:
That sequence was all Tom. Tom was deep into rock climbing at that point. He was like, ‘I want to be rock climbing at the beginning,’ and we said, ‘Okay.’
But let’s not forget the real cherry on top—getting to hang out with Cruise himself. Moore further reminisced:
We would meet with Tom every day, for like a month, just hanging out with him and working on story. It was wild.
In the end, it just goes to show that sometimes the most unlikely pairings can lead to greatness. No, we haven’t thought that a couple of Star Trek writers could save the day for Cruise and his Impossible Missions!
Stream Forrest Gump, Mission: Impossible II & Star Trek: First Contact on Paramount+.
