Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions top brass said principal photography has commenced on the fifth instalment in the Tom Cruise franchise.

Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie took a break from their schedule to record an ice bucket challenge in support of ALS.

Filming on Mission: Impossible 5 will take place in Vienna, Morocco and London. Drew Pearce and McQuarrie co-wrote the screenplay with Will Staples.

Cruise produces through Tom Cruise Productions alongside JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk through Bad Robot. Skydance Productions’ David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger will serve as executive producers.

Simon Pegg returns as Benji, Jeremy Renner as Brandt and Ving Rhames as Luther. Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson join the cast.

The fourth installment in the franchise scored the biggest hit so far after it opened in December 2011, grossing more than $694m worldwide.

The franchise kicked off in 1996 and to date has amassed approximately $2bn worldwide.

The film is scheduled to open on December 25, 2015.