Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, And Hayley Atwell's Freezing M:I 8 Shoot Looks Honestly Painful, But I Think One Adorable On Set Perk May Have Made It Worthwhile

Everyone looking forward to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning probably shares the same basic reasons with their fellow fans. The 2025 movie schedule entry is set to end Ethan Hunt’s run as an IMF agent, Tom Cruise’s painful looking stunts have taken him to the literal heights of action yet again, and that cliffhanger at the end of Dead Reckoning still needs to be, well, reckoned with. But after taking a look at the Svalbard shoot that Mission: Impossible 8 undertook, and even in the face of the freezing danger it represented, something totally adorable may have made up for that peril.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s Svalbard Shoot Still Looks Chilling

Previously, we were given a short, but sweet look at this arctic shoot, in the form of The Final Reckoning’s holiday greeting from the cast. But now we have a much more comprehensive look at what that cold schedule looked like, and you can see for yourself below:

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | Shooting in Svalbard (2025 Movie) - Tom Cruise - YouTube

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While we’ve seen Tom Cruise’s breathless biplane stunt from Mission: Impossible’s intended swan song, I think that the way Simon Pegg discusses The Final Reckoning’s Svalbard experience provides some competition for the most painful Mission stunt ever.

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At least that’s true if you exclude Mr. Cruise’s ankle breaking experience from Fallout, but you can read Pegg’s quote below and judge for yourself:

Pain is something that definitely weaves throughout the feats accomplished on camera. But in this latest featurette for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, there’s a fringe benefit that seems to make up for the freezing cold - even if watching it in action takes on a new meaning after Simon Pegg’s strong words.

Petting Mission: Impossible’s Sled Dogs May Not Totally Make Up For Freezing Temps, But It’s A Start

Want to add a perk to making your huge action spectacle, while also adding some cool images to your shot list? Adding animals is a surefire way to do just that, as we’ve seen with The Final Reckoning’s beautiful dog footage!

On the more practical side, having this mode of transport is ecologically friendly and good exercise for humanity’s best friend when done ethically. As you can observe in this still of Hayley Atwell, one lucky dog in particular got some hard earned scratches to back that claim:

Now I don’t mean to be a stickler, but I’m left wondering how long one can safely interact with this precious Mission: Impossible co-stars? Watching Ms. Atwell’s scratch session with the dog shown above, she’s having fun with that little darling with no face covering, ungloved. So unless it was an unseasonably warm day in Svalbard that day, the rumored returning cast mate for Avengers: Doomsday is taking some Tom Cruise-style risks herself.

If Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is as rewarding as watching those dogs get loved on, and as dangerous as Simon Pegg makes a gloveless day in Svalbard sound, I think this may be a hit in theaters. We’ll see soon enough, as this final mission will be debriefing audiences on May 23rd; with a mysterious Tom Cruise-approved popcorn bucket that still needs to be revealed.