Mission: Impossible IV Gets Writers

Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec have signed on to write the screenplay for Mission: Impossible IV for producers Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams and Paramount Pictures.

According to Variety, the scribes aren't big feature names yet, but they join a roster of writers who transitioned from Abrams TV series creations to pen the features he directs and produces through his Bad Robot banner.

Applebaum and Nemec spent four seasons with Abrams as co-exec producers of Alias, and they will script Mission: Impossible IV based on a story Abrams wrote with them.

While the only other commitments so far are for Cruise and Abrams to produce the film together, sources said that Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, will certainly be involved in an onscreen capacity.

"I've been looking forward to working with Josh and Andre again for years," Abrams said. "Their sense of balance between character and action is wonderful, which I know is hugely important to Tom as well. We're off to an exciting start, so, as usual, fingers crossed."

The film is aimed for a 2011 release.