The stakes couldn’t be higher for Paramount’s upcoming Mission: Impossible film, which has soared to a jaw-dropping budget of nearly $400 million. The studio hopes to market the film as the final entry in the iconic action franchise, but there’s a catch: Tom Cruise isn’t on board with saying goodbye to his legendary character, Ethan Hunt.

This franchise has been a constant thrill ride since 1996, and despite the popularity of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, its $300 million production cost barely turned a profit with a $566 million global box office haul. Dead Reckoning also broke with the series tradition by ending on a cliffhanger, a move that surprised fans who were used to each movie being a self-contained story. In response, Paramount dropped the “Part One” subtitle, hoping to open the doors wider for M:I 8 to lure back audiences.

One twist? Cruise has already hinted at sticking with Mission: Impossible for as long as Harrison Ford has with Indiana Jones and has pushed back on publicly labelling this the final film. As he once said, “Harrison Ford is a legend; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him.”

In a risky bid, Paramount plans to premiere Mission: Impossible 8 at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May, just days before the global release on May 23. Cannes has been a make-or-break venue for big-budget films recently; Indiana Jones and Horizon saw mixed receptions that impacted their box office performance. But Paramount is betting that a Cannes debut will add prestige and anticipation for this high-stakes finale—or not-quite-finale if Cruise has his way.

As the first trailer for M:I 8 is set to drop soon, fans and critics alike are bracing to see if this massive gamble pays off or if it’ll be the toughest mission yet for Cruise and Paramount.