'Mission: Impossible 5' is quickly moving forward now that Tom Cruise has signed the dotted line for a fourth sequel. And to speed things up, 'Iron Man 3' screenwriter Drew Pearce has been brought in to pen the latest installment.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Pearce has signed on to the picture, with Christopher McQuarrie still mentioned as the most likely candidate to direct. Pearce seems a good choice as his other big project is this summer's 'Pacific Rim,' which he worked on with Guillermo del Toro.

These three projects suggest a scripter who is good at working with directors who are used to both writing and directing. But that also means that it's hard to know how much to credit him for the screenplay of something like 'Iron Man 3.' There he was was working with co-writer/director Shane Black, but when interviewed about making the movie Pearce said it was his idea that 'Iron Man 3' be set at Christmas (a Black trademark), which definitely confuses the issue.

THR also notes that Cruise's next project is 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' which has been adding to its cast recently, and that 'M:I 5' would be his next project after that, which suggests a 2015 launch for the film.

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