When Tom Cruise decided to make "War of the Worlds" with Steven Spielberg, it meant that "Mission Impossible 3" had to be placed on the back burner. One of the side effects of that move was that a few of the actors who had signed on to the third "Mission Impossible" movie weren't going to necessarily be available when "Mission Impossible 3" was finally ready to begin production. And that's ultimately what happened.

Scarlett Johansson, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Kenneth Branagh all dropped out of the film citing other commmitments.

A few of the characters - including the role of Tom Cruise's love interest - have been recast. Rumors had been flying around fast and furiously that Cruise's off-screen love interest, Katie Holmes, would play the role. But it looks like that was in fact just a rumor. Michelle Monaghan ("The Bourne Supremacy") has signed on to play the romantic female lead. Jonathan Rhys Meyers also joined the cast as one of the members of Tom Cruise's Impossible Missions Force.

J.J. Abrams (the creator of the hit TV series' "Lost" and "Alias") will direct "Mission Impossible 3." Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ("Alias," "The Island") wrote the script.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter