Paramount Pictures has signed the deal with Mr. Cruise to star in the fourth installment of the successful spy series. “The intention is to make this Cruise’s next film and start shooting by summer for a Memorial Day 2011 weekend release.” [Deadline Hollywood]

Television writing team Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec are writing the script.

Cruise will, of course, produce along with J.J. Abrams, who directed the underrated M:I III. Blame it on the whole couch thing.

The man has since recovered his career (rather impressively) since that year-long PR disintegration, coming back with serious stuff like Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie, and then a brilliant little comic cameo in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder.

The fact that this next Mission is getting fast tracked is a good sign that the star’s career rejuvenation has come full circle, especially considering that Paramount has decided he’s now worth talking to again. In some ways, it’ll all depend on how his big summer actioner Knight & Day performs.

This message will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….

BOOM.