Mission: Impossible 7’s road to release has been a rocky one, to say the least. Besides the notorious Tom Cruise blow-up, the film faced several shutdowns due to COVID-19. One of the COVID shutdowns had to do with director Christopher McQuarrie, according to M:I 7 star Cary Elwes. But that didn’t stop McQuarrie from finishing the latest installment. Elwes recently revealed what it was like for him to direct scenes after being contact traced.
The multiple COVID shutdowns put Mission: Impossible 7’s production in jeopardy. Eventually, the release date was pushed to 2022. But for Christopher McQuarrie, the show had to go on despite being at home. Cary Elwes witnessed his commitment to finishing the blockbuster firsthand. The Princess Bride actor gave The Hollywood Reporter some insight into how McQuarrie directed scenes while in self-quarantine.
I don’t think I am saying anything new when I say that the production had some difficulties and they had to shut down. So Chris McQuarrie had to direct from his computer at home because he had been contact-traced. And that is a testament to how brilliant he is, that he was able to do it. He said, ‘Look, I never want to do it again’ — but he managed it. We got it done. And it is going to be the biggest Mission of them all, there is no question about it. No question.
Directing scenes from home is what you call commitment. Most directors would’ve had their assistant director or cinematographer take over in their absences, but Christopher McQuarrie wanted to see his vision through. Besides seeing the film through, the filmmaker probably felt the pressure from Paramount to finish the sequel. So he needed to make sure the film got in the can to meet its release date. Despite finishing the sequel, McQuarrie is a true filmmaker and would never want to do it again, according to Cary Elwes.
Cary Elwes’ words made the wait for Mission: Impossible 7 seem worth it. The anticipated sequel was over two years in the making after all those delays. Of course, Christopher McQuarrie wasn’t always directing from home as evident by some on-set snaps. M:I 7 star Tom Cruise has already been pushing for the film like the director despite the release being months away. Cruise pledged himself and the sequel to bringing back the theatrical experience. Both the actor and director seem committed to giving fans the film they deserve.
Hopefully, all of Christopher McQuarrie’s challenging work pays off when the film arrives. Moviegoers will finally get the chance to see Mission: Impossible 7 when it debuts in theaters on Sept. 30, 2022. Viewers should also be on the lookout for McQuarrie’s other Tom Cruise collaboration Top Gun: Maverick, which arrives in theaters on May 27, 2022.
