One would think that after the high-flying success of 2022's Top Gun: Maverick (which has scored multiple 2023 Oscar nominations), leading man Tom Cruise would be aiming to take it easy. However, the actor is currently hard at work on the highly anticipated Mission: Impossible sequels that are on the way. While Dead Reckoning - Part One is one of 2023 new movie releases that hits theaters this summer, Part Two is still in production. We've gotten a few glimpses at the latter movie and, now, its director is treating us to a look at one of Cruise's stunts mid-air.
It feels like Tom Cruise has been filming Mission: Impossible 8 forever (though he did recently stop in Los Angeles for the 95th Annual Oscars Nominee Luncheon where he was a celebrity among a sea of star-studded talent.) The always active Cruise was recently spotted in Italy this week amid production. The scene he was working on apparently sees him (as Ethan Hunt) landing an aircraft carrier, per Ansa. We now have an idea of what that entails since M:I 8’s writer/director, Christopher McQuarrie, posted the following image to Instagram:
This new production pic from Dead Reckoning - Part Two shows a camera operator looking on, as the image of the aircraft carrier can be seen in his viewfinder. It looks like the aerial vehicle Christopher McQuarrie was in when he took the photo has an external camera attached to it, which is how it can seemingly capture Tom Cruise in mid-air doing his latest stunt for Mission: Impossible 8.
The 60-year-old star has had a pilot's license since 1994 and personally owns numerous aircrafts. Ahead of this reveal, it had been alleged that the actor would fly an aircraft for the 2024 Mission: Impossible movie, and this is certainly a sweet behind-the-scenes look at what should be an awesome action sequence.
Release Date: July 14, 2023 (Theaters)
Written/Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Cary Elwes, Pom Klementieff, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Shea Whigham, Rob Delaney
Christopher McQuarrie has been posting numerous behind the scenes images as production on the upcoming Mission: Impossible movies has progressed. Though the clever filmmaker has been careful not to spoil anything with his posts. He only explained this latest pic with three dots, which continues his trend of providing fans with ambiguous captions. Even so, it’s an awesome look at what’s to come in the eighth M:I movie, which has been shooting on and off for nearly a year now and previously filmed in the (sheep-filled) English countryside, South Africa, Malta and Norway.
Dead Reckoning - Part Two is expected to be Tom Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt. It's sure to be an emotional send-off for the character that Cruise first played in the original 1996 movie, which was an adaptation of the classic '60s TV show. The actor is well-known for his the crazy stunts he's performed in the M:I movies over the years, between doing a halo jump, climbing the Burj Khalifa, hanging on a plane and so forth. And if Christopher McQuarrie's post is any indication, he'll outdo himself in these next two movies.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One is set to hit theaters this July 14, whilst Part Two is set to open on June 28, 2024.
