Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning features a stunt so dangerous that director Christopher McQuarrie had to shut down Tom Cruise’s obsessive reshoots. Directed once again by McQuarrie, with a script he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen, the upcoming Mission: Impossible movie continues following Ethan Hunt’s fight against the rogue AI known as the enтιтy. The latest Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning trailer, aired during the Super Bowl, previewed some of Cruise’s incredible stunts, including the actor hanging off two separate biplanes in midair.

During an interview with Empire Magazine, McQuarrie continued to tease some of Cruise’s stunts in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, including one that “topped anything he had ever done before.” Empire was invited to see some of the footage from the sequence, and they “can confirm that it contains a stunt so staggeringly dangerous” that, when they first saw it, they “let out an involuntary yelp.” In fact, the stunt is so dangerous that the director had to shut down the actor’s obsessive reshoots, stopping after take 19. Read their full comments below:

McQuarrie: There are stunts in this movie that will melt your brain. There would be a day in Africa – any day in Africa – where Tom would go out and do something that topped anything he had ever done before.

Cruise: I want to pin you to your seat, to give you a physical reaction, and engross you in the storytelling.

McQuarrie: I truly want to puke thinking about the stress. It was intense. He approached me to do number 20. And I said, “You’re done. Do not anger the gods.”

What Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’s Dangerous Stunt Means For The Movie

Tom Cruise Has Topped Himself Once Again

Since 2011’s Ghost Protocol, in which Cruise scaled the Burj Khalifa, the Mission: Impossible franchise has been known for featuring increasingly daring stunts. With each installment, Cruise has taken it upon himself to up the ante, making the stunts more spectacular and dangerous, including ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning‘s motorcycle jump off a cliff into a parachute landing. In The Final Reckoning, Cruise has raised the stakes once again, resulting in the most dangerous stunt he’s ever attempted, which is appropriate considering this may be his last Mission: Impossible movie.

It’s unclear what the stunt is in The Final Reckoning that “topped anything [Cruise] had ever done before,” though audiences will definitely know it when they see it. However, McQuarrie did reveal that it was filmed in Africa. Cruise’s biplane stunt, which has been the centerpiece of the marketing campaign so far, was filmed in the skies of South Africa. In the Super Bowl trailer, there are two separate biplane stunts, one with Cruise hanging onto the side of a red plane and dangling upside down from a yellow plane.

Our Take On Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’s Dangerous Stunt

It Epitomizes Cruise’s Fearless Pursuit Of Excellence

With each Mission: Impossible movie, Cruise has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, delivering stunts that eclipse everything that’s come before. It’s the reason why each installment is so highly anticipated and evoke such visceral reactions from audiences. As this may be Cruise’s last Mission: Impossible movie, it’s only fitting that it features his most daring stunt yet. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning epitomizes Cruise’s fearless pursuit of excellence, hopefully resulting in a truly unforgettable, adrenaline-charged, and absolutely epic climax.

Source: Empire Magazine