LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: There is no stopping Ethan Hunt, and so there is no stopping the actor who plays him either. Tom Cruise was asked if it's even remotely possible that the senior field agent with the prestigious covert operations firm Impossible Mission Force (IMF) could soon hang up his parachute and running shoes. Cruise is known for pulling off his own wild exploits, such as jumping across London's rooftops in 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' and hanging off the side of a building in 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.'
During the UK premiere of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' in Leicester Square in London, Cruise opened up to ET's Rachel Smith. He reflected on the idea of the eighth installment ('Dead Reckoning Part Two'), which is scheduled for a June 2024 release. The seventh installment of the franchise will be released in theaters on July 12, as per Entertainment Tonight.
'I can't tell you right now'
Due to his enthusiasm for carrying out his own stunts, the 60-year-old remains a well-liked action hero in the Hollywood circuit. "You know, I can't tell you right now," Cruise told ET when asked about Ethan Hunt's return to 'Dead Reckoning Part Two.' Cruise added: "I want to enjoy this moment right now, and it's Part One and Part 2. This is a big action-adventure movie for everyone and I look forward to seeing it."
When questioned about his collaboration with director Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise responded, "We're just one constant story that love talking about movies and stories and action and stories and more stories and movies and more movies." Christopher McQuarrie, a producer and filmmaker, debuted in the franchise as director of the films 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' (2015) and 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' (2018).
Cruise revealed when he sat down with ET in Rome earlier this week to preview the new action movie the most risky stunt of his career, a motorbike jump down a cliff into a base jump which was the first sequence shot for 'Dead Reckoning Part One.' Cruise laughed as he described the planning for the life-threatening stunt: "Well, we know either we're gonna continue with the film or we're not."
'It all kind of came to that moment'
The actor continued that it was all about focus. Cruise said, "It was years preparing. I mean, I've been riding motorcycles since I was a little kid, raced cars and spent a lot of time just with aerobatics, airplanes, helicopters and parachutes... It all kind of came to that moment." According to Cruise, who is touring to promote the summer blockbuster, the purpose for filming the dangerous stunt initially was to ensure that if he was hurt, the $200 million film wouldn't be held in limbo mid-shoot.
Previously, production of 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' was hampered by the veteran star's prior ankle injury. The A-list actor insisted that he was totally concentrated on the action scene in the movie with the motorcycle since it required the highest level of physical ability. With one great film after another, Cruise undoubtedly established his name in Hollywood legends. To mention a few, his hits include 'Top Gun,' 'Jerry Maguire,' 'Risky Business,' and 'A Few Good Men.'
