MUMBAI — American
actor Tom Cruise made a spectacular return to CinemaCon, lighting up the stage
at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum in his first appearance since the pandemic.
This time, he brought an exclusive sneak peek of “Mission:
Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” the thrilling conclusion to a franchise that
has set the standard for action films over the past three decades. Helmed by
Christopher McQuarrie, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” serves as
the thrilling conclusion to the franchise that began almost thirty years ago.
The story picks up after Dead Reckoning, with Ethan Hunt confronting a rogue AI
called The Entity.
On stage, Cruise showered praise on McQuarrie, reminiscing
about how he had secretly enlisted him to fine-tune “Mission: Impossible –
Ghost Protocol” without the team’s knowledge. “He’s the hero of that film and
put Skydance on the map,” Tom Cruise remarked.
He continued, “Because of Christopher McQuarrie, we
delivered Top Gun: Maverick and two Mission: Impossible films during pandemic
shutdowns and strikes. You’re a modern-day Thalberg and an asset to every
studio you serve.”
Cruise then honored McQuarrie with CinemaCon’s Director of
the Year Award. Reflecting on his journey, McQuarrie credited Cruise for
believing in him when no one else would. “Tom, I’m here because of your vision
and trust,” he said, adding that Cruise pushed him beyond his own limits.
As he introduced the trailer, Cruise expressed gratitude to
former Mission: Impossible producer Paula Wagner, ex-Paramount chief Sherry
Lansing, and all directors who contributed to the franchise, including Brian De
Palma, Brad Bird, J.J. Abrams, and John Woo.
The trailer of “Mission Impossible 8” itself promises
high-octane action, with Henry Czerny’s Kittridge ominously stating, “If we
want to bring the world back to the brink, we have to deal with him.” It
features Cruise performing jaw-dropping stunts, including crawling on a flying
biplane and jumping off an aircraft carrier. Nuclear missiles are also in play,
raising the stakes like never before.
The “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” stars Hayley
Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Angela
Bassett. The film is slated to hit the theaters on May 23, 2025, in English,
Hindi, Tamil, and Telegu in 4DX and IMAX.