Mission Impossible Director Reveals Secret To Surviving Tom Cruise Stunts!

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Among the many movies set for release in 2025, I have a strong feeling that Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning will be the one that leaves me on the edge of my seat more than any horror film. This is because Tom Cruise, who stars alongside Simon Pegg, performs all his own stunts, and they’re known for being absolutely mind-blowing. Just thinking about watching them unfold on the big screen makes me anxious, let alone contemplating what it must be like for the movie’s director to watch them happen in real life.

Christopher McQuarrie, director of the last four “Mission: Impossible” films including “Fallout”, recently revealed that orchestrating these massive stunts can be quite stressful. Yet, while filming these action sequences, he acknowledged the need to set aside his worries and focus on the task at hand, as he stated to Deadline.

During our movie production, the safety procedures for the aerial sequences were particularly crucial, as they were the initial action scenes we filmed. Before each flight, we held detailed and precise briefings with all pilots, ensuring everything was thoroughly discussed multiple times. At the conclusion of every safety discussion, our designated safety officer would ask, ‘Are there any distractions or issues that might affect your focus, in other words, any “ducks”?’ If anyone had anything causing them stress or anxiety that could potentially divert their attention, they were not allowed to fly.

In other words, it seems that the individuals performing stunts for “Mission: Impossible” must maintain a high level of composure to successfully execute these scenes. Similarly, director McQuarrie needed to do the same as well.

I inquired from the safety expert, “What’s the origin of the term ‘duck’?” To which he replied, “It’s not a single predator that causes your demise, but rather countless ducks that peck you to death.” It’s important to note that accidents often occur when numerous individuals are preoccupied with various distractions, not just one factor. In reality, it’s usually a chain of events or a series of distractions that lead to such incidents.

It seems like everything boils down to one’s mental attitude, doesn’t it? If you find yourself tense and worried about something as daunting as Tom Cruise clinging onto a plane’s wing when he’s 8000 feet above ground with winds gusting at an astounding 140 miles per hour (which, by the way, is a real stunt that Tom Cruise performs in Final Reckoning), it’s likely you aren’t fully prepared. Given this perspective, it’s no surprise that Christopher McQuarrie has had to overcome his fears, as he himself puts it.

It became clear to me that keeping no ducks was necessary. I needed to overcome my fear of time and the typical demands of productivity. I had to maintain an extremely receptive mindset, ensuring I didn’t miss any potential insights.

On paper, it seems logical, but it’s hard to imagine maintaining such mental composure amidst the chaos and pressure of one of the largest and most crucial film productions in history, known as The Final Reckoning, which is said to have cost approximately $400 million (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter). Delays in production, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes, were contributing factors to these astronomical costs, making it one of the most expensive movies ever produced. It’s astonishing to consider that McQuarrie, who is responsible for every significant decision regarding production, had to remain so composed under such pressure.

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Impossible film have predominantly been favorable. Jessica Rawden from TopMob describes it as a thrilling, tension-filled blockbuster, while our own Mike Reyes in his four-star review for Final Reckoning refers to it as a satisfying conclusion to the series, albeit with a few minor flaws. All things considered, Christopher McQuarrie’s bold style and technique have certainly paid off. Make sure to catch the movie when it arrives in theaters on May 23.

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2025-05-18 01:07