Mission Impossible 5 Latest News: Mission Impossible 5 Release Date set for Christmas day, 2015; Production Team on its way to Shoot in Morocco

By Kara Michelle Aug 21, 2014 09:18 AM EDT

Mission Impossible 5 latest news: lead star Tom Cruise and the film's production team are heading to exotic and mysterious Morocco to shoot crucial scenes for the fifth installment of the hit movie franchise.

Mission Impossible 5 release date has been set for December 25, 2105, in time for the holiday movie rush.

Selected locations are Casablanca, Medina Quarter, Marrakesh and Rabat.

Expectations are high for this Mission Impossible 5 as its predecessor, "Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol," earned $694 million at the worldwide box office.

Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt, who leads the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). Reprising their previous roles are cast members, Paula Patton as Jane Carter, Jeremy Renner as William Brandt, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, and Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn.

Rebecca Ferguson has confirmed her involvement in "Mission Impossible 5" as Hunt's right hand woman.

Mission Impossible 5 is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise's director in the thriller "Jack Reacher."

The Mission Impossible franchise is based on the 1960's TV series of the same title. Released in 1996, the franchise's first salvo, "Mission: Impossible," follows agent Ethan Hunt as he tries to prove his innocence following the accusation that he has murdered members of the IMF team.