The next Mission: Impossible movie is ramping up on pre-production. Tom Cruise and company are reportedly in Prague currently scouting out shooting locations. Paramount has added one cast member and is in talks with another roles in the movie.

The Wrap is reporting that Vladimir Mashkov (Behind Enemy Lines) has been added to play a Russian agent. While he has had limited roles in U.S. movies and television, Mashkov is a big celebrity in his homeland.

Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton have already been added to the returning cast of Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg. The fourth Mission: Impossible, directed by Brad Bird, is still working on a title that would veer from the first three's format.

In other news what's playing has some interesting notes from their insider column.

Oh, and who is playing the villain this time around? The wonderful Michael Nyqvist of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo fame is in final talks. Pleased as heck with the turn he puts in in that film, Cruise and director Brad Bird reportedly contacted the talented actor and asked him if he’d be interested in beating up Ethan Hunt. “They have like a terrific 5 page fight sequence at the end of the film - brutal, brutal stuff”, says our Para-insider. “He’s this very charming, but calculating bad guy. Not your typical spy-film villain”. Funnily enough, Para also contacted Noomi Rapace to see if she’d be interested in playing the female lead. She wasn’t. Also told Cruise and Bird are trying to coax a big name star into playing the ‘boss’ of IMF, “They want a new name every movie to play the boss - they had Voight, they had Hopkins, and they had Fishburne. Offers are out to some heavywights”.