Three decades and seven films after the first blockbuster Mission: Impossible film in 1996, Tom Cruise, now 62, returns with yet another installment in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

Cast member Tom Cruise poses during a photocall for the film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" Out of competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France,. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier CANNES,

In a wide-ranging masterclass at the Cannes Film Festival, Christopher McQuarrie delved into the evolution of the “competitive” film business and why his collaboration with Tom Cruise offers a blueprint for how to keep theatergoers heading to the cineplex.