Tom Cruise Likely Back in Mission Impossible 4

"We absolutely are excited about having Tom Cruise star in this movie," is how Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore put it Tuesday.

But the studio also is monitoring the overseas performance of Cruise's latest film, "Knight and Day," to see whether the star retains his longtime hold over foreign audiences. If that film should gross less than $200 million overseas, some industry observers think Paramount will consider recasting the Ethan Hunt role. At this point, it's too early to say how the film will do, though Fox executives are predicting a solid performance.