Few franchises manage to get better with age, but Mission: Impossible is among that limited lineup. One of the main reasons why the spy-centric film series continues to enjoy great success after more than two decades is each new installment increases the amount of action, thrills and spectacle, particularly when it concerns lead actor Tom Cruise. As for how the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 is looking to stand out, word’s come in that the production is keen on blowing up an actual bridge.
Mission: Impossible 7 is forming plans to shoot footage in Poland, specifically in the southern area of the Silesia province. There’s a railway bridge that runs between Wle? and Jelenia Góra, and is suspended 40 meters above Lake Pilchowickie. Built in 1909, this bridge was once traveled over by many tourists in the early 20th century, but cut to today, it’s seen better days, to the point that the bridge was decommissioned in 2016.
To that end, director Christopher McQuarrie and the Mission: Impossible 7 team are hoping to blow up the bridge as part of one of the flick’s many exciting sequences, and Poland's Ministry of Culture and National Heritage sounds game for this, but with a catch. As reported by The First News, the Ministry believes the bridge still has value as a tourist destination, and since only a portion of the bridge would be destroyed rather than the entire structure, they want it renovated afterwards so it can be used again.
While the Ministry doesn’t have the legal authority to guarantee funds for renovating the bridge, Deputy Culture Minister Pawel Lewandowski said if Mission: Impossible 7 does indeed film in Poland, he’s hopeful that the money can be raised, both from state railway company PKP and possibly even straight from the Mission: Impossible 7 filmmakers. Furthermore, there’s reportedly hope that “green filming” will minimize the environmental damage to the area, and that Mission: Impossible 7’s presence in that area of Poland will benefit the entire region.
However, there’s still no guarantee that Mission: Impossible 7 will blow up the Pilchowickie Bridge, as there’s opposition from the locals and the Silesian Monument Conserver, which intends to list the bridge as a monument. The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage has also written a letter to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki appealing to have the bridge preserved.
As things stand now, Tom Cruise is expected to visit Poland in September, with the filming intended to take place next April. So one would imagine this bridge issue will settled in the coming months one way or another. As for how Mission: Impossible 7 filming is currently going, following several months of delay due to the current health crisis, cameras have resumed rolling in England, with Cruise, the cast and crew not having to go through a 14-day quarantine. The movie’s team is also expected to finish shooting in Venice in September.
No Mission: Impossible 7 plot details have been revealed yet, but there’s plenty of casting information that’s come out. Along with Tom Cruise, the movie’s returning faces include Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny, while the newcomers include Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham and Esai Morales.
Mission: Impossible 7 will hit theaters on November 19, 2021, with Mission: Impossible 8 following on November 4, 2022. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how both movies are coming along.
