Last year, actor and professional death-defyer Tom Cruise was injured performing a stunt on the set of Mission: Impossible - Fallout. While jumping from one building to another, as one does, Cruise broke his ankle, resulting in the film's production being temporarily shut down for a period of time. The production pivoted to some work on post-production, and the film is still on track to be released this summer. For a while there though, there was some consternation about the status of the film, and not just among the fanbase. When the injury happened, the unflappable and dedicated Tom Cruise was worried about getting back to the film in time and being able to run again, as he explained:
I was nervous about it. I definitely was... but I really tried to work hard. I worked 10 hours a day on rehab, seven days a week.
I didn't know Tom Cruise got nervous, but even though he has hung off the sides of planes, having your ankle broken would still be pretty worrisome. And I'm not a doctor, nor am I one to question Tom Cruise's results, but isn't rest a huge part of injury rehabilitation? Rehabbing that amount every day seems like a lot. I suppose Ethan Hunt is just made of stronger stuff because Tom Cruise was back to filming in just nine weeks for an injury that was expected to take nine months to recover from. His work ethic is incredible and it's unsurprising how much he put into his recovery, because as he told ET, he was "pissed" and "really angry" at himself for having stuck his foot out a little too long, resulting in the broken ankle and the production shutdown. That's holding yourself to some pretty high standards, insisting that you be perfect at jumping across buildings.
Still, the actor did what it took to recover and get back into Mission: Impossible shape so that the film could stay on track. He didn't come back to some easy dialogue scenes either. Tom Cruise still had all of the running left to do in the film, which means whenever you see him running in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, that's done on a technically broken ankle. And if Fallout is like most Mission: Impossible films, there will be a lot of running. That couldn't have been pleasant, but as evidenced by his completing the shot where he injured himself, which will be in the final film, Tom Cruise is willing to put himself through the ringer to get the shot and deliver a great action movie on time for both studio and audience.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout doesn't just have Tom Cruise breaking his ankle jumping from one building to another. The film also found the actor performing his own stunts as Ethan Hunt by jumping out of a plane, as well as flying a helicopter by himself while performing an extremely risky maneuver. Judging by the absolutely brilliant trailer for Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Tom Cruise's insane rehab schedule paid off as this latest film in the franchise looks like a kinetic blast that should be a standout in the crowded summer season.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout sprints into theaters on July 27. For all the latest in why superhumans The Rock and Tom Cruise could make a killing selling supplements and workout DVDs, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
