Director Christopher McQuarrie of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One has disclosed that he and actor Tom Cruise are working on a brand-new, ground-breaking stunt. The two first worked together on the 2008 film Valkyrie, which McQuarrie also co-wrote. Three years later, when McQuarrie revised the script for the fifth Mission: Impossible movie, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, they briefly collaborated again. Even though it was only a little cooperation, it was the ideal time for both creators since it was at this time that Cruise was beginning to develop a liking for doing real-life, extremely risky actions on camera.
In the movie Ghost Protocol, Cruise is known for pulling off a stunt in which he runs down the side of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Although they had previously collaborated on Jack Reacher and Edge of Tomorrow, McQuarrie’s direction of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation in 2015 turned out to be the result of their efforts. The death-defying scene in that movie, in which Cruise clung to the side of a plane while it was in the air, inspired both of its creators to push themselves even harder on each succeeding project, including Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick from 2021, and the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two.
McQuarrie responded to a fan query regarding his work with Tom Cruise today on his official Twitter account. The fan, whose screen name is Amanda Hunt, questioned whether he and Tom Cruise had any stunts in mind that would be challenging to execute. The fascinating reaction from the Top Gun: Maverick writer was to relate a recent incident, saying that “On Friday morning, I informed Tom that the technology to capture a certain stunt simply did not exist,” adding that “by six o’clock it existed” because of their talented crew.
In which movie may this new Tom Cruise stunt appear?
The fact that McQuarrie didn’t specify which movie the stunt he’s describing would be in is aggravating, even though this Tweet will undoubtedly stimulate the excitement of Cruise fans. It appears doubtful that it will feature in either Dead Reckoning Part One or Two considering the main filming on those movies was completed in September 2021, unless his Tweet is incorrect and he is talking to a Friday that happened many years ago. The stunt may be a part of a reshoot, but it seems more probable that it will be in a movie that both of them are now working on.
Sadly, it doesn’t necessarily help to focus on things. At least four prospective movies are being worked on by Cruise and the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One director, including a new action series, a musical, and a new collaboration with the Tropic Thunder filmmaker. While all of them are in development, they are now working on a SpaceX partnership that will be recorded in space. This is likely the project that McQuarrie was alluding to in his Tweet given how demanding the technology requirements for such a movie would be.