Salary dispute halts Mission: Impossible 6 production

Paramount Pictures and actor Tom Cruise are in dispute for payment issues and, hence, the pre-producton of the upcoming sixth installment of Mission: Impossible has been stalled.

Actor Tom Cruise and production banner Paramount Pictures are locked in a dispute over salary and that has reportedly halted pre-production on the upcoming sixth installment of popular Mission: Impossible series.

Tom Cruise is looking to match or exceed what he is getting paid by Universal for The Mummy, say sources. (Getty Images)

The studio, which was co-financing the movie with Skydance Media, was in the preparation stages for a January 2017 production start and Christopher McQuarrie is writing the script.

Read: Chris McQuarrie accepts Mission Impossible 6, will return to direct

According to multiple sources, one of the contentious points is Cruise’s back-end profit participation, with the star looking to match or exceed what he is getting paid by Universal for starring in The Mummy, which he is currently shooting in London, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Read: Watch Tom Cruise shoot that insane plane scene in Mission Impossible

This is the second hiccup this summer for Mission: Impossible 6. In July, the project threatened to fall apart over what one source said was script issues. That obstacle pushed a November start into the new year.