Christopher McQuarrie confirms he will return for 'Mission: Impossible 6'

The Mission: Impossible franchise will officially see its first returning director in 2017.

We reported earlier this month that Christopher McQuarrie was being eyed to write and possibly direct Mission: Impossible 6, and he has now confirmed this news by taking to Twitter and writing, "Mission: Accepted," using the hashtag "MI6."

So we now know that McQuarrie will be involved in some way, although it still isn't clear if he will direct the sequel or simply write it. McQuarrie wrote and directed the most recent installment, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which grossed nearly $700 million worldwide.

This return is significant because regardless of his exact role, it will be the first time a writer or director will work on two Mission: Impossible movies. So far, the series has stayed fresh partially because it finds a new creative team every time, in the past hiring directors Brian De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Brad Bird. Even the screenwriters always rotate, so maintaining some consistency between films is a big change.

Mission: Impossible 6 will go into production next August, and it's expected in theaters in 2017.