The British tabloids, where else eh, have come up with a report that Brad Pitt has been lined up to replace Tom Cruise in the next "Mission Impossible" film in a move that will make Pitt the highest-paid actor in Hollywood history.

An insider told This Is London that: "MI:IV will not include Cruise's character, agent Ethan Hunt. They're considering a brief mention, saying Hunt retired to live a safe life with his new wife. They're set on Brad taking over as a gutsy new head operative who puts together his own unique team of specialists."

Paramount Pictures, the company behind the franchise, ended their long-running partnership with Cruise the other month, whilst a few months earlier negotiated a deal to produce projects with Pitt's Plan B production company. No doubt this report is speculation due to those circumstances, nevertheless as speculation goes this is one of the few that doesn't sound too bad.