Easily one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, thanks in part to a masterful trailer, is the sixth installment in a franchise that just keeps getting better, Mission: Impossible Fallout. Although the action movie doesn't release until next Friday, some lucky people have already gotten to see it and the early reviews have been hugely positive, indicating that audiences and fans of the franchise will really like what director Christopher McQuarrie has in store for them. But one person who really, really must like it is star Rebecca Ferguson, who has already seen it three times. She explained her approach to filmmaking and audience expectations, saying:
Tom always says he makes the film for the audience, but I don't. That may be really selfish. I just don't go in thinking: 'How will the audience take this?' I hope they enjoy it, but I do it for myself and the ride -- and to make something that I would like to see. I have watched this one three times now. [I like it] bloody goddam well.)
Rebecca Ferguson didn't mince words speaking to The Guardian regarding how well Mission: Impossible Fallout is holding up after three viewings. She said that she makes movies that she wants to watch, and in this case, she clearly really likes watching this one. She of course saw it at the premiere, but seeing it not one, but two other times speaks to her opinion of it. While Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Ilsa Faust in the film, obviously wouldn't say that a movie she is in is terrible, you don't see something three times if it's just okay.
Rebecca Ferguson also provides interesting insight into her approach to filmmaking here. We all know that Tom Cruise will do anything and everything to entertain and enthrall audiences, risking life and limb, and healing at an unnatural rate, and he is largely successful in it. For Rebecca Ferguson, she first and foremost makes the kinds of movies that she wants to see, which are fun rides that she gets something out of. Judging by the fact that she's seen it three times and the reactions so far, Mission: Impossible Fallout must be a hell of a ride.
Although she worries it's selfish, I think that Rebecca Ferguson's approach is as valid as any. You can't please everyone, and audience reactions could really get in your head, especially in this era of social media and occasionally vitriolic fanbases. You want fans to like it, but better to not get too caught up in things that are beyond your control. Of course, every actor is different. Rebecca Ferguson does movies she'd like to see and Tom Cruise is all about entertaining audiences. Some actors do it for the paycheck, others for the artistic challenge, and others because a role scares them. There is no right answer.
You can see Mission: Impossible Fallout for the first time, although probably not the last, when it rockets into theaters on July 27, at which point I assume Rebecca Ferguson will have seen it at least five times. Check out our guide for the biggest movies still to come this year, and for all the latest movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
