'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' Scores Highest Opening Numbers in Franchise History
Tom Cruise brought in $20 million this Friday with the opening of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
The fifth movie in the franchise -- which was produced by Cruise -- is expected to make just over $50 million for Paramount this weekend alone, with Friday's opening marking the biggest in franchise history.
WATCH: Tom Cruise Is Already Working on 'Mission: Impossible 6'
In the latest movie, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team take on their most impossible mission yet: Eradicating the Syndicate, an international rogue organization out to dismantle the IMF.
Cruise himself has earned more than $100 million in 17 of his 35 movies, and he recently revealed the secret to his box office success.
"Every day on a movie set you learn. I feel myself to be really a student," Cruise said. "Just when you think you've climbed the mountain, you realize there's another mountain to climb and it never gets boring. I feel very privileged to do what I do."
MORE: Why Do Strong Female Characters in Mission: Impossible Movies Keep Disappearing?
The first four films in the franchise have brought in more than $2 billion combined, with nearly $700 million coming from the previous series entry, Ghost Protocol.
Cruise's picture decimated the second place box-office contender for this weekend, the Ed Helms-fronted comedy Vacation, which brought in a mere $4 million on Friday and hopes to make just under $20 million by next week.
If only they'd forced Helms to do his own death-defying stunts, maybe this would be a closer race.
Then again, Chris Hemsworth's abs alone should have helped.
Ant-Man and Minions are competing for third place -- both are expected to gross $12 million this weekend.
Check out the video below to hear what Cruise had to say about the film's biggest, scariest stunts.