Hollywood Reporter is, oddly enough, reporting that Lost star Josh Holloway has joined the cast of Brad Bird’s Mission: Impossible 4. The ABC show, which finished its 6 year run in May, was often the cause for Holloway having to turn down offers for other projects, but now that it’s in the can he is exercising his newfound freedom by joining Tom Cruise for the latest installment in Paramount’s action franchise.

Bird, who signed on to do M:I 4 due to his personal project being placed on hold (the period piece 1906), hopes to jump headfirst into the action genre with a big-budgeted bang, as he’ll have to juggle the egos of not just Cruise, but also Ving Rhames and producer J. J. Abrams. Yikes.

Personally, I really hope Mr.Bird is up for the challenge. No one can debate his theatrical pedigree… except that it’s all been of the animated variety, with entries such as The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille sitting all over his filmography, so the man definitely has the ability to craft a tale. But to make one’s first live-action film be a mega-star vehicle may either be genius, or send him running back to the animation room.

As for Holloway, this gives him the springboard most actors long for, as he attempts to jettison his TV career for big screen glory.

Mission: Impossible IV is tentatively scheduled for a December 2011 release.