Rebecca Ferguson Lands Female Lead in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5

According to Deadline, Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Ferguson (BBC's THE WHITE QUEEN) has landed the female lead in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 5, set to be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and written by video game scribe Will Staples. Alec Baldwin is also in talks to join the cast as the head of the CIA.

Franchise star Tom Cruise has been set for M:I 5 since May 2013. The actor will also executive produce for Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions. J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot will return as producer.

In the last MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE installment, titled GHOST PROTOCOL, blamed for the terrorist bombing of the Kremlin, IMF operative Ethan Hunt is disavowed along with the rest of the agency when the President initiates "Ghost Protocol." Left without any resources or backup, Ethan must find a way to clear his agency's name and prevent another attack. To complicate matters further, Ethan is forced to embark on this mission with a team of fellow IMF fugitives whose personal motives he does not fully know. Cruise returned in the starring role as Ethan Hunt and was joined by an international cast that includes Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist,Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway,Anil Kapoor and Lea Seydoux.

McQuarrie has previously directed Jack Reacher and THE WAY OF THE GUN. He's written such films as THE TOURIST, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, and VALKYRIE, which featured Cruise. He also wrote the upcoming sci-fi flick THE EDGE OF TOMORROW - once again, starring Tom Cruise.

Staples will next write BLOOD & TREASURE, and has penned the scripts for such video games as NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS and CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3.