The headlines in Hollywood are all proclaiming that Tom Cruise is back, even though he never really went anywhere.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is on course to be the most successful film in the franchise, having opened strongly, not just in America, but around the globe. The fourth sequel has now taken a huge $217 million after about a week of release, and is expected to continue to show legs over the holiday season. It took more in it's opening few days (domestically) than Cruise's last film, Knight and Day did in its entire box office run. The actor has remained a global superstar; his movies have always done stellar business internationally - even though they were slightly down in terms of take at the US.
Cruise has also been recently talking up the possibility of Top Gun 2, and has the musical, Rock of Ages, due next summer.