By The National Staff  www.thenational.ae

The fourth instalment in the Mission:Impossible film franchise is to be partly filmed in Dubai, it was confirmed today.

Starring Tom Cruise, the movie will begin shooting in the “next few weeks”, according to a statement released by the Dubai media office.

Among the possible locations are Burj Khalifa and Meydan. Other locations and companies such as Emirates Airline and Emaar have been placed on standby to assist with the film.

The announcement comes after two months of meetings between the Hollywood studio, Paramount, and government officials.

Accompanying Cruise will be a crew of more than 400 people, including the director, Brad Bird, best known for his work on Pixar’s The Incredibles, which grossed more than $600 million at the global box office.

A spokesman said, “Filming in Dubai would be the longest among other international cities that will feature in MI4. The city is expected to play host to the film crews and stars over a period of at least three weeks.”

Dubai Police, Civil Defence, Roads and Transport Authority and Department of Health, will all be on hand to facilitate the filming process.

Other stars expected to arrive in Dubai include Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Paula Patton (Precious).

The first three Mission Impossible instalments have collectively grossed $1,4 billion (Dh5.14 billion).

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