Is "Mission: Impossible 5" In Trouble?

Production on "Mission: Impossible 5" was reportedly shut down for a week recently according to THR. It seems the film's ending is unsatisfactory.

Tom Cruise will star again as special operative Ethan Hunt in the sequel. Jeremy Renner is all set to reprise his role of William Brandt from 2011's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Simon Pegg also returns as will Ving Rhames .

Rhames was a regular in the first three installments of the film series, but only had cameo in "Protocol". No word on how extensive his role is in this film.

The White Queen star Rebecca Ferguson's character is said to be some sort of assassin. This is reportedly the role Jessica Chastain turned down to scheduling, The role requires months of intense training leading up to and during production. Alec Baldwin will play a high-ranking CIA official who oversees Cruise's division. British character actor Sean Harris ("The Borgias," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Prometheus") is set to play the villain. Simon McBurney will portray the boss of Ferguson's character.

Christopher McQuarrie ("Jack Reacher") is directing MI #5 from a script by video game scribe Will Staples. Drew Pearce penned the initial script. 

McQuarrie was reportedly given this extra time to work out a new and improved finale with a writer friend whom will be neither paid nor credited and remains unknown.

A Paramount Pictures source says: "Chris, Tom [Cruise] and a third person wanted to take a minute to get from what they thought was a good place to a more perfect place," Still other sources tell the trade that  McQuarrie was scrambling to come up with an ending that would work.

They add though that the film is "not in any way seriously behind schedule".

For his part McQuarrie sent out a tweet to debunk the story:

Live, from the set of the #MI5 finale, the "unknown writer" sends his regards to @thr before cashing his paycheck. pic.twitter.com/OEk2pWvT46
— ChristopherMcQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) February 21, 2015

Cruise, David Ellison and J.J. Abrams are producing.

Originally slated for a December 25th release this year, the movie will now hit the big screen on July 31st. As a result the part CG-animated/part live-action film adaptation of Hasbro's "Monster Trucks" toy line. set for May 29th, will now bow at Christmas.