Tom Cruise has said that it takes "decades" to prepare for all extreme stunts for Mission: Impossible.
Offering fans an insight into how he prepares for such stunts, Tom Cruise said: “I have to tell you, look, it takes years, decades to be able to prepare for something because I’ve been flying aeroplanes and studying aerial photography for decades".
“I learn when I’m shooting something. I learn a little bit and I keep trying to expand upon that knowledge".
Cruise continued: “So, aerial sequence all the way back to 40 years ago, and now I fly aerobatics. I fly aerobatic jets, helicopters. I fly everything. I’m learning these skills and then I’m applying it to cinema. So it’s also just understanding the aircraft, the camera, what kind of cameras can we have?".
“How’s the aircraft going to behave with that camera? How am I going to create motion in space that will create an emotional reaction with the audience".
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning which is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, will see Cruise hang off a plane, jump off buildings and underwater in a submarine sequence. It is to his cinema screens next week (May 21).
Elsewhere, Tom Cruise stated that he is keen for fans to connect with this film from an emotional standpoint.
“I want that emotional engagement, I don’t want you just watch the movie. I want you to experience it. So that’s a lot of physical, mental, but a lot of other things, technical things, that go into developing something like this", he said.
“There’s a lot of studying a lot of learning", he added. “I don’t ever coast through anything. I want the challenge and I see beauty and privilege in my art form that I get to do, like the underwater sequence, the amount of engineering that I have to study and learn, and many, many layers of skill involved".
At the beginning of each movie, Cruise's character Ethan Hunt is offered the choice of accepting a new, high risk mission, putting his life on the line to prevent crime and evil forces.
On the power of choice, Cruise said: “It is the heart of Mission (Impossible). Should you choose to accept the very first mission? It is a choice of that individual. So it is inherent".
“That’s one of the things that I loved about the Mission: Impossible franchise. They don’t just say, this is your mission and you have to do it. It’s like should you choose to accept? So there’s personal responsibility".
“All of us, whether we realise it or not, we’re making choices, even to not do something or not take responsibility for something", he added. “I think that adds a whole other emotional layer to the characters and each one as you’re going through it, and how we introduce these characters again, you’re seeing each of them making a choice".
Alongside Cruise, Simon Pegg will also reprise his role as field agent, Benji Dunn, as well as Hayley Atwell playing Grace. Elsewhere, Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, who plays Admiral Neely, and Severance star Tramell Tillman who plays submarine commander, Captain Bledsoe, will also feature.
