Paul Thomas Anderson Reveals One Franchise He Wish He Could’ve Directed Film For

Paul Thomas is arguably the greatest American filmmaker working right now, but has avoided blockbuster filmmaking for decades. One Battle After Another is the biggest budgeted film he’s ever made and looks to be one of the most acclaimed movies of the year.

When you have the kind of sauce that PTA has, you don’t have to sell out and make franchise films. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t open to the idea at one point. In a recent interview with Le Figaro, PTA admitted that he wished he could’ve directed a Mission: Impossible movie with Tom Cruise.

“I would have loved to [direct a Mission: Impossible], but I never got that call,” Anderson said. “I was very disappointed. I think he’s done with Mission: Impossible now, so it won’t happen.”

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning came out earlier this year but was a box office and critical disappointment. That likely means we’re done getting Mission: Impossible movies for the foreseeable future.

It’s a shame, as one of Cruise’s career-best performances comes in PTA’s Magnolia. It would’ve been fascinating to see what the auteur could’ve come up with in that world. Sadly, it sounds like it won’t ever happen. Perhaps there’s another blockbuster that Crusie and PTA could join forces on.

Related: Steven Spielberg Adds to One Battle After Another Hype With Review