This image was lost some time after publication.

With M:i:III's opening weekend box office take underwhelming all but the most generous of analysts, it fell to Paramount's head of marketing and worldwide distribution, Rob Moore, to undertake the thankless task of explaining What Went Wrong for the studio. A round-up of the damage control explanations:

· Did all the hubbub surrounding Cruise's unfortunate tendency to overshare about virtually every aspect of his offscreen life hurt the movie's box office? Said Moore, "I don't believe that is a factor in how the movie opened," [NY Times]
· But doesn't it bother Paramount when all anyone wants to talk about is Cruise's adorable Miracle Baby and the woman who allegedly incubated it these last ten or so months? "There's no question it concerns us if the press is writing about things other than the movie. If people are writing about his personal life, then by definition, they're not writing about the movie." [AP]

· And what might happen in a world where the DVD player, cable, and the internet never existed, making it virtually impossible for younger fans to have heard of the previous two installments of the franchise? "If you're 17 today you were 11 when 'M:i:II' came out, and you weren't even born when the original TV series was on the air. To a young audience, you're launching a new franchise." [LAT]
· And, finally, Moore admits that in a perfect world, the opening weekend number might be a little more robust, while hinting that commercials might be recut to let the kids know that this is just the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the Mission: Impossible team: "You're always trying to aim for a bigger number, but we have a lot of momentum going into next weekend. We have to do a little work so that younger audiences know this is a franchise for them." [Variety]