ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> STORY: Oscar-nominee Tom Cruise kicked off the rollout of the fourth installment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise with a limited "fan screening" in Japan on Thursday (December 1), ahead of its world premiere next week.<br/> Paramount Pictures said Cruise chose to start the film's tour in Tokyo, ahead of the Dubai event, as a gesture to his Japanese fans and the nation that suffered so much from the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and the ensuing nuclear crisis.<br/> Hundreds of fans braved chilly weather to get a glimpse of Cruise as he walked down the red carpet before talking to fans.<br/> The "Mission Impossible" series has been a solid bet both at the box office and with critics.<br/> The movie series "Mission Impossible" first began in 1996 and has attracted both male and female fans to its action-packed story line, with fans lining up hours in advance for to meet for this film as well.<br/> Tom Cruise has been to Japan more than 15 times and regularly does special promotions with his Japanese fan base.<br/> Two such fans that were lucky enough to meet him during a previous visit attended the "Mission Impossible" premiere in Tokyo hoping to see him again.<br/> Cruise, 49, returns as super agent Ethan Hunt, saving the world yet again in "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol." The film is packed with stunts and action scenes, and features the world's tallest building, Dubai's 828-metre (2,716 ft) Burj Khalifa.<br/> The film will be released in Japan on December 16 and in the US on December 21, with theatrical releases around the world staggered over several weeks.
