Mission: Impossible Box Office: Which MI Movie Delivered The Biggest Return On Budget & Where The Final Reckoning Stands?

Exploring which Mission: Impossible film earned the highest return on its budget and how The Final Reckoning stacks up among all eight installments.

- September 25, 2025 | 12:44 PM IST

Mission: Impossible Franchise At The Box Office(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Following its theatrical release on May 23, 2025, the eighth instalment in the Mission: Impossible film series, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, starring Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, has grossed over $598.1 million worldwide, making it the eighth highest-grossing movie of 2025 as of now. However, it recently slipped out of the top 200 highest-grossing films of all time after Brad Pitt’s F1 and James Gunn’s Superman entered the coveted list.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Box Office Summary

North America: $197.4 million
International: $400.7 million
Worldwide: $598 million

While entries like Rogue Nation (2015) and Ghost Protocol (2011) set the box office on fire, the highest-grossing MI movie to date is Fallout (2018). The Final Reckoning currently stands as the fourth-highest-grossing entry in the blockbuster franchise. But the big question is: Which Mission: Impossible movie delivered the highest return relative to its budget? Let’s break down the numbers.

Mission: Impossible Franchise – Budget & Worldwide Earnings

Here are the budgets and worldwide earnings for every Mission: Impossible movie listed in release order (according to Box Office Mojo):

Mission: Impossible (1996) – Budget: $80 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $457.7 Million
Mission: Impossible II (2000) – Budget: $125 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $546.4 Million
Mission: Impossible III (2006) – Budget: $150 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $398.5 Million
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – Budget: $145 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $694.7 Million
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – Budget: $150 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $682.7 Million
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – Budget: $178 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $791.1 Million
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) – Budget: $291 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $571.1 Million
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) – Budget: $400 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $598.1 Million

Mission: Impossible Movies – Best Return On Budget

Based on the budget and earnings data above, here’s how the Mission: Impossible films rank in terms of earnings-to-budget ratios:

Mission: Impossible (1996) – 5.7x
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – 4.8x
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – 4.6x
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – 4.44x
Mission: Impossible II (2000) – 4.4x
Mission: Impossible III (2006) – 2.7x
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) – 2x
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) – 1.5x

As the figures show, the highest return relative to budget was achieved by the first Mission: Impossible movie, which earned an impressive 5.7x its production cost. Next in line is Ghost Protocol at 4.8x, followed by Rogue Nation at 4.6x and Fallout at 4.44x. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning currently sits in eighth place at 1.5x, a figure unlikely to change as its theatrical run is almost complete.

What Is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning About?

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film sees Tom Cruise reprise his role as daredevil IMF agent Ethan Hunt. This time, Ethan and his team are in a desperate race to stop a powerful AI program known as The Entity from falling into the wrong hands, a threat that could lead to devastating global consequences.

Alongside Cruise, the film features an ensemble cast including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett in key roles.