tom cruise stunt motorcycle off cliff

Tom Cruise did that motorcycle stunt in ‘Mission: Impossible’ on Day 1 — here’s why

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

More than half a year before the release of the upcoming movie “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One,” Paramount Pictures made sure audiences got to see Tom Cruise once again risking his life.

Cruise’s mind-blowing stunts have become a signature of “ Mission: Impossible ” films, each one seemingly topping the next. The key stunt in the franchise’s seventh installment involves Cruise driving a motorcycle off the edge of a cliff, dismounting and parachuting into a Norwegian valley. With the drop of its behind-the-scenes footage in December , the studio billed it as “the biggest stunt in cinema history.”

Though the moment has already been watched on YouTube more than 13 million times, and 30 million more times in the film’s trailers, it’s among the film’s most anticipated scenes. After all, we still don’t know how the stunt fits within the plot — What could be so dire that agent Ethan Hunt must jump off a cliff?

Entertainment & Arts

Tom Cruise geeked out at ‘Mission: Impossible’ premiere over ‘goddess’ Janet Jackson

Tom Cruise expressed his love for Janet Jackson at the ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ world premiere in Rome.

June 20, 2023

While answers won’t come until the movie’s theatrical release July 12, we now know that the risky stunt was the first thing Cruise did on Day 1 of filming, which began in 2020. And it was all about risk assessment.

In a recent interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Cruise said they started with the scene, in part, to allow the cast and crew to see whether he would be able to star in the $290-million film. After all, he could either get injured or die — or both.

“Well, we know we’re either going to continue with the film or not,” Cruise said, letting out a laugh. “Let’s know Day 1, what is gonna happen: Do we all continue, or is it a major re-run?”

Cruise added that he wanted to make sure his mind was clear enough to focus solely on the stunt.

Watch ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ director Christopher McQuarrie on Ultimate Summer Movie Showdown

Week 13: ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ director Christopher McQuarrie joins a live chat from London about the blockbuster franchise.

Aug. 4, 2020

“You have to be razor sharp for something like that; I don’t want to drop that and shoot other things and have my mind somewhere else,” Cruise said. “You don’t want to be waking up in the middle of the night, ‘It’s still, I still, I still,’ and it has that effect.”

Cruise is no stranger to aerial stunts with a high probability of death. The “Top Gun” actor said preparing for the recent stunt “was years of planning,” a culmination of all the training he’s done with motorcycles, cars and aerobatics.

In the franchise’s last film, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” (2018), Cruise jumped into a helicopter in midflight , taking the controls to chase another helicopter. In the same movie, he parachuted from a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from 25,000 feet, close to five miles up, becoming “the first actor” to do so in a major motion picture, according to Paramount (most skydiving attempts occur at 10,000 feet).

In 2011 for “ Ghost Protocol ,” the “Jerry McGuire” actor climbed along the exposed walls of the world’s largest building, the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. And in 2015 for “Rogue Nation,” Cruise hung off the side of an Airbus A400M Atlas as it was taking off, a stunt that veteran stunt coordinator and frequent Cruise collaborator Wade Eastwood called “a stressful experience.”

The recent motorcycle stunt, which Cruise had apparently repeated six times, was no exception. Though the film’s computer-generated images make Cruise appear to be jumping off the rocky surface of the cliff, the scene required a large ramp to be built.

While Cruise is seen atop the motorcycle in the behind-the-scenes video, accelerating off the ramp, a helicopter and drone fly overhead to gather footage. The film’s crew, including director Christopher McQuarrie, are huddled in a nearby tent, faces glued to a set of monitors. After he abandons the bike and hangs in the open air, Cruise releases his parachute and the crew erupts in cheers.

“The only thing you have to avoid when doing a stunt like this are serious injury or death,” Eastwood, who has managed stunts for the last three “Mission Impossible” films, said in the BTS video. “You’re falling. If you don’t get a clean exit from the bike and you get tangled up with it, if you don’t open your parachute, you’re not gonna make it.”

Review: Tom Cruise returns, crazy stunts and all, in ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’

See Tom run. See Tom jump.

July 13, 2018

The scene wasn’t the only stressful one to shoot: Cruise said he also worried about a car chase that involved him handcuffed to a small car, steering with one hand while drifting along the cobblestone streets of Rome, with his co-star Hayley Atwell in the passenger seat.

“It’s plenty of challenges,” Cruise said with a wide grin, laughing once again.

“Dead Reckoning” had its world premiere Sunday at the Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome with Cruise and other cast members, including Atwell and Vanessa Kirby , in attendance. “Part Two” is expected to be released in June 2024. Filming wrapped in September for what has been rumored to be Cruise’s final appearance in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

More to Read

Cameras were rolling when a chopper killed an actor and two kids. Was A-list director to blame?

June 12, 2024

Glen Powell initially turned down his ‘Top Gun’ role — so Tom Cruise rewrote it for him

May 28, 2024

Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ should have been a TV show

May 20, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Jonah Valdez is a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times on the Fast Break entertainment news team. Before joining The Times as a member of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class, he worked for the Southern California News Group, where he wrote award-winning features. His work can also be found at his hometown newspaper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, Voice of San Diego and San Diego Reader.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Company Town

Ukrainian family of slain ‘Rust’ filmmaker again sues Alec Baldwin, other producers

June 13, 2024

‘Kinds of Kindness’ star Jesse Plemons opens up about losing weight and that ‘Civil War’ cameo

‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ director Susan Seidelman takes stock of her groundbreaking career

In ‘Hit Man,’ Adria Arjona found the role of a lifetime

We tested hundreds of beauty products — here are our 2024 award winners!

• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show
• TODAY Plaza

Watch Tom Cruise complete ‘biggest stunt in cinema history’ with death-defying jump

Tom Cruise is soaring to new heights.

The legendary actor appears in a new video from the making of the upcoming “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” that gives fans an “extended behind the scenes look at the biggest stunt in cinema history ,” according to Paramount Pictures’ description of the clip on YouTube.

The video, which runs more than nine minutes long, opens with a breathtaking overhead view of a mountain in Hellesylt, Norway, with Cruise explaining that he will ride a motorcycle off of a cliff that turns into a base jump.

“I’ve wanted to do it since I was a little kid,” he says.

Director Christopher McQuarrie says Cruise helped facilitate the stunt by getting together a team of experts in various fields to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

There are clips of Cruise skydiving and riding a motorcycle on a motorcross track built specifically for the stunt, while viewers learn how different models were constructed to properly gauge the angle Cruise would be diving off the bike. There was even a GPS chip to keep track of all of his jumps and gather a wide range of data, including how the wind would affect each jump.

“I have to get so good at this that there’s just no way that I miss my marks,” he says.

“You train and drill every little aspect over and over and over and over again,” he adds while we see clips of him diving and riding his motorcycle.

And Cruise apparently did just that, performing more than 500 dives and 13,000 jumps on the motorcycle.

Around the 7-minute mark, Cruise takes off on the motorcycle, driving off a ramp and then pulling a parachute to the ground below in a mind-blowing effort.

“This is far and away the most dangerous thing we’ve ever attempted,” McQuarrie says.

You can see for yourself how the stunt looks on the big screen when “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” opens in theaters July 2023.

Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. He has seen every episode of “Saved by the Bell” at least 50 times, longs to perfect the crane kick from “The Karate Kid” and performs stand-up comedy, while also cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants. A graduate of Rutgers University, he is the married father of two kids who believe he is ridiculous.

Nicole Kidman says she and Sandra Bullock will appear in ‘Practical Magic 2’

Kate Winslet reveals on-screen kiss with Leonardo DiCaprio was ‘not all it’s cracked up to be’

‘Under Paris,’ explained: Why the shark movie is No. 1 on Netflix right now

Michael Cera ditches his signature brown locks for a Ken-inspired new look

What happens at the end of 'Hit Man'? Glen Powell breaks down the surprise ending

Netflix's 'Hit Man' is inspired by a real story about a fake hit man. All about the true story

Jenna Bush Hager tells Will Ferrell that her dad George W. Bush was an ‘early fan’ of his work

Who is Ethan Slater? Here's what to know about the actor dating Ariana Grande

Pop culture.

Is Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap referenced in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’?

The true story behind the Lifetime movie ‘Gaslit By My Husband,’ according to Morgan Metzer herself

Tom Cruise Shot ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Motorcycle Stunt on Day One So the Crew Would Know: ‘Do We Continue or Is It a Major Rewrite’ If I Fail?

By Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

• Pat Sajak Passes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Hosting Baton to Ryan Seacrest and Tells Him: ‘You’re Never Going to Find a Better Job’ or ‘a Better Co-Host’ in Vanna White 8 hours ago
• Nicola Coughlan Tells Off Trolls Claiming ‘Bridgerton’ Photoshopped Her Waist to Be Skinnier, Says Wearing So Many Corsets ‘Really Molds’ Your Body 10 hours ago
• Russell Crowe Says Actors Expecting Comic Book Movies to Be ‘Life-Changing Events’ Are ‘Here for the Wrong Reasons’: ‘These Are Jobs. Here’s Your Role, Play the Role’ 14 hours ago

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” director Christopher McQuarrie made headlines at the start of June after revealing to Empire magazine that Tom Cruise ‘s insane motorcycle stunt was shot on the first day of filming. The stunt, billed as the most death-defying one of Cruise’s acting career thus far, finds Cruise riding a motorcycle off the edge of a cliff and then parachuting to safety while in free fall.

Related Stories

The state of generative ai in hollywood: a special report, ‘simon of the mountain’ review: federico luis' sometimes playful, often provocative debut weighs what constitutes disability, popular on variety.

“Well we know either we will continue with the film or we’re not. Let’s know day one!” Cruise recently told Entertainment Tonight about filming the stunt at the very start of production. “Let us know day one what is going to happen: Do we all continue or is it a major rewrite?”

“I was training and I was ready,” Cruise added. “You have to be razor sharp when you’re doing something like that. It was very important as we were prepping the film that it was actually the first thing. I don’t want to drop that and go shoot other things and have my mind somewhere else. Everyone was prepped. Let’s just get it done.”

“Dead Reckoning” is expected to be one of the biggest Hollywood tentpoles of the summer movie season, if not the biggest. Cruise is riding high off the blockbuster success of “Top Gun: Maverick” last year, which ended its run as the 11th highest grossing film in history (unadjusted for inflation) with $1.49 billion. While “Dead Reckoning” may not reach those box office heights, it’s certainly expected to outgross 2017’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” ($791 million) and become the franchise’s new top earner.

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opens in theaters July 12 from Paramount Pictures.

More from Variety

Anne rice talamasca series greenlit at amc, how text-to-video models from veo to sora compare as hollywood production tools, what media & entertainment execs are saying about using gen ai: the vip+/harrisx spring 2024 survey, more from our brands, tony bennett’s daughters file lawsuit against brother over legendary singer’s estate, tag heuer and porsche just dropped a new carrera chronograph, house panel advances gop bill to ban college athletes as employees, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, my dad the bounty hunter cancelled at netflix after 2 seasons, verify it's you, please log in.

Tom Cruise’s Bike Off A Cliff Stunt Was Day One On Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: ‘It’s Never The Easy Road’ – Exclusive Image

We’ve all seen it by now, in the various trailers and featurettes that have been shared ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One . It’s perhaps pioneering action star Tom Cruise ’s biggest, most dangerous stunt yet – yes, we’re talking about him driving a motorbike off a cliff (for real!), letting go of the bike in mid-air (for real!), and falling to the ground (for real!). It’s an incredible, stomach-churning sight (which you can remind yourself of by watching the latest trailer, below) – and, as it turns out, was the very first day of shooting on the new Mission film.

That’s quite a first day, isn’t it? Arriving on set, saying hello to the crew… and then potentially plummeting to your death? It’s all part of director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise’s fluid filmmaking approach to the Mission movies, where action set-pieces often come first and plot points are woven in later. The big bike stunt, shot in Helsetkopen, Norway, was an example of that. “Doing that on Day One gave us all the time in the world to understand why he [Ethan] was doing what he was doing,” McQuarrie tells Empire , in our world-exclusive new Ahsoka issue . “If we sat around and tried to figure out these movies the old-fashioned way, you’d never find it, simply because it’s such a living, breathing thing.” Shooting that jaw-dropping moment first was also the Mission team coming out of the gates in a big way, and a statement of intent for the two upcoming films – something that was important to Cruise. “It’s never the easy road,” Cruise tells Empire . “I have a responsibility to audiences, the studio, my crew, my cast and industry. We can’t compromise just because all of these things happened. I can’t compromise the storytelling.”

Mission ’s non-linear, non-traditional method of production ran through the entire shoot, and became the norm for more of the cast than just Cruise. “You always go back and forth between the beginning and the end of the movie,” says Pom Klementieff , who plays a mysterious, harlequin-esque adversary for Ethan Hunt. “They’re always checking what they have, and then we do reshoots within the shoot.” Vanessa Kirby , returning in Dead Reckoning as The White Widow, is also fully on board with this way of working. “We were shooting in a train carriage,” she says. “And because of Covid we had moved on from that location, and then we realised we needed to get something else to tie in. We even came back a couple of months ago to that scene. It’s cool that you know that it will be the best version, and that they don’t stop until they get it.” A cinematic experience like no other is the mission, after all.

Read Empire ’s exclusive Mission: Impossible feature in full – speaking to Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, Hayley Atwell , Simon Pegg , Vanessa Kirby, Rebecca Ferguson , Pom Klementieff, Ving Rhames and Henry Czerny – in the upcoming July 2023 issue, on sale Thursday 8 June. Become an Empire member to access the digital edition in full on launch day, or pre-order a print copy online now here . Dead Reckoning Part One arrives in cinemas on 11 July.

Tom Cruise Explains Why This ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Stunt Was the Most Dangerous of His Career

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

10 Major Spider-Man Villains Not in the Movies

Every bad boys movie, ranked, the 10 best superhero movies of the last 5 years.

With each successive Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise has made a habit of putting his life in danger for the sake of audience entertainment. This all really began with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , for which Cruise dangled off the tallest building in the world for a high-flying set piece that made viewers positively nauseous. For Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , he attached himself to the outside of an airplane while it lifted off a runway. And for Mission: Impossible – Fallout , he both dangled below a helicopter and also flew a helicopter himself for the thrilling finale set piece. But for Mission: Impossible 7 , he’s outdone himself.

You may recall that set photos revealed Cruise riding a motorcycle up a ramp, flying off a cliff, and then immediately pulling a parachute to safely make his way down to the ground. That is indeed one of the central set pieces of Mission: Impossible 7 (for which Rogue Nation and Fallout filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returns), and now Cruise is pulling back the curtain on why it’s the most dangerous stunt of his career.

RELATED: Tom Cruise Rides a Train in New 'Mission: Impossible 7' Image, Talks Pandemic Filming

Speaking to Empire, Cruise broke down the challenging logistics of riding a motorcycle off a cliff:

“If the wind was too strong, it would blow me off the ramp,” he explains. “The helicopter [filming the stunt] was a problem, because I didn’t want to be hammering down that ramp at top speed and get hit by a stone. Or if I departed in a weird way, we didn’t know what was going to happen with the bike. I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don’t want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that’s not going to end well.”

The actor and producer said the pressure was on, largely because he pushed to resume production safely on Mission: Impossible 7 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to get people back to work and ensure theaters would be supplied with a big blockbuster to lure folks back to theaters:

“All those emotions were going through my mind,” he says. “I was thinking about the people I work with, and my industry. And for the whole crew to know that we’d started rolling on a movie was just a huge relief. It was very emotional, I gotta tell you.”

This will surely make for a hell of a behind-the-scenes documentary, so here’s hoping McQuarrie and/or Paramount Pictures had someone onhand to chronicle the challenging production of Mission: Impossible 7 , which is being shot back-to-back with Mission: Impossible 8 . Filming is still ongoing at this moment in time, but McQuarrie and Cruise have a bit more time to put the finishing touches on the first sequel before it hits theaters – M:I 7 ’s release date was recently delayed to May 27, 2022.

KEEP READING: Tom Cruise Says He Was Told to Lose the Smile While Filming Death-Defying Stunts

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Tom Cruise Rides His Motorcycle Off a Cliff in Action-Packed 'Mission: Impossible 7' Trailer

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is in theaters July 12.

Tom Cruise undertakes some of his most daring stunts yet in his latest action movie.

On Wednesday, Paramount Pictures released the trailer for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , showcasing Cruise's Ethan Hunt as he embarks on his latest mission.

Footage from the trailer previews Hunt's clash with a villain played by Esai Morales during another globe-trotting adventure that threatens the entire Impossible Missions Force team.

The trailer teases Cruise and Morales' fight on top of a moving train, as well as a full look at Cruise's now-famous cliff jump from a motorbike stunt as Ving Rhames ' character Luther warns Hunt not to value saving the rest of the team higher than completing their mission.

"I don't accept that," Hunt says in response to the warning, as the trailer ends with him jumping from a destroyed train car before its falls to a body of water below.

In the new movie — the seventh in the Mission: Impossible franchise and its first entry since 2018 — Hunt and his team are tasked with tracking down "a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands," an official synopsis for the film reads promising, "a deadly race around the globe" throughout the movie.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most," the synopsis adds.

Aside from Cruise, Rhames and Morales, the latest Mission: Impossible movie features a large ensemble cast including Hayley Atwell , Simon Pegg , Rebecca Ferguson , Vanessa Kirby , Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes , Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma and Rob Delaney.

The movie is written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, a longtime collaborator of Cruise's who directed the previous two Mission: Impossible films and wrote Top Gun: Maverick . McQuarrie, 54, is also making the upcoming sequel Dead Reckoning Part Two , expected to release in 2024.

Related Articles

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Tom Cruise explains that death-defying Mission: Impossible 7 stunt captured in an amazing photo

The actor says riding a motorcycle off a cliff was one of the riskiest stunts of his career.

Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled.

This time last year, the much-anticipated seventh Mission: Impossible film was stuck in a production pause as the world reckoned with the COVID-19 pandemic . But now it's 2021, people are getting vaccinated, and film sets have strict health protocols in place. So Tom Cruise is talking about Mission: Impossible 7 as a movie that's going to come out in the near future, which means viewers will soon get to see the superstar actor perform death-defying action stunts.

Cruise always does his own stunts on the Mission: Impossible films, and each installment in the franchise tries to outdo its predecessor. Set photos have already previewed what looks to be one of the actor's most thrilling feats yet: Riding a motorcycle off the edge of a cliff. In a new interview with Empire , Cruise explained why this jump was "the single most dangerous thing he'd ever done." Check out the photo of it below and you'll get an idea of the risk.

"If the wind was too strong, it would blow me off the ramp," Cruise said. "The helicopter [filming the stunt] was a problem, because I didn't want to be hammering down that ramp at top speed and get hit by a stone. Or if I departed in a weird way, we didn't know what was going to happen with the bike. I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don't want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that's not going to end well."

Thankfully, all's well that ends well. Cruise is still in one piece, and he still loves this stuff. As he recently said on The Graham Norton Show , Cruise has even been told sometimes to stop smiling while performing his stunts because it ruins takes.

Mission: Impossible 7 is currently set to hit theaters on May 27, 2022, and will start streaming on Paramount+ some time after that.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly 's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Mission: Impossible 7, A Quiet Place 2 to stream on Paramount+ after 45 days in theaters
• Tom Cruise reportedly chastises M:I7 crew over broken COVID protocols in leaked audio
• Mission: Impossible - Fallout reveals Tom Cruise's death-defying aerial stunt

Related Articles

• Hybrids & EVs
• Motorsports
• Motorcycles

Tom Cruise Actually Rode a Motorcycle off a Cliff for a Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Stunt

Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts, and he has done some doozies for the Mission: Impossible series. Memorable moments include his 25,000-foot skydive, climbing the world’s tallest building, and clinging to the side of a flying plane. But there is one stunt that Tom Cruise admits he has dreamed of doing since he was a kid but hasn’t pulled off until now: riding a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting down .

Did Tom Cruise do his own motorcycle stunts in Mission: Impossible?

Tom Cruise performs all his own stunts. The Mission: Impossible franchise has become a vehicle for Cruise’s increasingly wild skydiving, rock climbing, and motorcycle riding stunts . Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning is no exception, with protagonist Ethan Hunt jumping a motorcycle off a cliff before deploying his parachute.

Tom Cruise starred in the first Mission: Impossible film adaptation back in 1996. That movie featured some impressive action set pieces. But as film audiences demanded more Mission: Impossible movies, Cruise used the franchise to attempt the biggest sets in cinema history–himself.

When asked by the Hollywood Reporter why he attempts dangerous stunts himself, Cruise said, “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance? Why do you do your own dancing?'” Obviously, performing his own stunts is part of Cruise’s identity as an actor and leading man. Check out a few of the wildest stunts from past Mission Impossible movies in the video below:

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning will be the seventh film in the franchise and a sequel to 2018’s Mission: Impossible — Fallout. Paramount plans to launch it in theaters on July 14th, 2023. The final film in the franchise: Dead Reckoning Part Two is targeting a summer 2024 release. Part One’s notable stunts include launching a steam locomotive off a destroyed bridge, a vintage biplane chase, and riding a motorcycle over a cliff before parachuting to safety.

Dead Reckoning outdid all other Mission: Impossible stunts

Tom Cruise admitted that he has dreamed of riding a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety since he was a kid. When Paramount and Cruise agreed that Dead Reckoning parts one and two would be his final outing as Ethan Hunt, Cruise knew it might be his final chance to make this dream come true. But the stunt would require him to merge two skills he had never used in tandem: motorcycle jumping and base jumping.

Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie had two distinct challenges in pulling off the motorcycle jump/base jump stunt: pulling it off safely and catching the action on camera. They selected a tall cliff in Norway and Cruise began preparing.

Firstly, Cruise refreshed his extensive parachuting expertise with over a year of advanced skydive and base jumping training. He also dove in Norway, getting used to the wind and weather. He even jumped along the cliff for the movie, leaping out of a hovering helicopter. Next, the film crew built Cruise a motocross track, and he practiced jumping bikes until he could clear an 80-foot tabletop.

While Cruise was practicing his motocross jumping skills, the film crew began to collect data. They attached a GPS tracker to Cruise and experimented with how far he and the bike would fly if he hit the jump at various speeds, or held onto the bike for different amounts of time. They would later use this data to place drone cameras in the perfect spot in the air to get the shot.

Tom Cruise actually rode a motorcycle off of a cliff while filming Mission Impossible number seven

Finally, the film crew also built a massive ramp off the cliff in Norway. They actually began principal photography with the cliff jump stunt. Cruise began with some warmup jumps from a helicopter, getting used to steering his parachute away from the cliff. Then he linked all his new skills together, riding a motocross bike off of the jump, letting it fall away, and pulling his parachute.

During that day of filming, Cruise completed the entire stunt several times so the director could capture it from different camera angles. Next, learn how James Bond used Coca-Cola to pull off the No Time to Die motorcycle jump or see behind the scenes of the upcoming Mission: Impossible motorcycle stunt for yourself in the video below:

This Dramatic Fast and Furious Stunt Is Actually Realistic

Sidecar Motorcycle Vs. Trike: Which Three Wheeler Is Right for You?

What’s the Difference Between Snell and DOT Motorcycle Helmets in 2024?

Can Anyone Go to a Biker Bar?

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.

Mission: Impossible 7 Reveals the Fate of the Motorbike From Tom Cruise's Epic Stunt

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Norman Reedus Reveals How The Boondock Saints 3 Begins

Jurassic world 4 begins filming, first plot details released, furiosa star reminds fans his character is 'fictional' after being flooded with angry messages.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One finally revealed the fate of the motorcycle Tom Cruise used for his jaw-dropping stunt in the latest installment of the franchise.

On Instagram, Dead Reckoning Part One responded to a fan inquiry about what happened to the motorcycle by posting footage of a helicopter pulling up the shattered bike from the rubble, with a clean-up crew recovering its scattered parts and pieces. Set to some somber music, the footage is accompanied by the caption, "For everyone asking what happened to the bike."

RELATED: Why Mission: Impossible 7's Cast Laughed During Tom Cruise's Most Dangerous Stunt

In Dead Reckoning Part One , Cruise's Ethan Hunt drives his bike off a cliff and into a base jump, parachuting to safety while the bike plummeted to its demise. Cruise's motorcycle sequence is one of the defining scenes in the movie, with the legendary actor putting his body through the wringer to make the summer blockbuster a must-watch event. Earlier this year, Cruise broke down how he survived the bike stunt during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! , detailing the timing and precision involved to ensure it went to plan.

Along with his motorcycle stunt, Cruise also fought above a fast-moving train as Hunt takes on Esai Morales' Gabriel in another key Dead Reckoning Part One scene. Additionally, Cruise engaged in a speedflying stunt which took him years of training to get right. Despite the cast and crew openly expressing concern about his penchant for stunts and the risk involved, Cruise insisted he isn't worried about the effect the stunts have on his colleagues' nerves.

The Success of Mission: Impossible 7

Thanks in part to Cruise's stunt work, Dead Reckoning Part One has become a hit with critics and fans, with the film being called on the best Mission: Impossible installments to date as it boasts a 96% critical rating and 94% audience score via Rotten Tomatoes. Commercially, Mission: Impossible 7 has grossed $378.5 million worldwide, though its box-office momentum has slowed considerably thanks to "Barbenheimer" as Barbie and Oppenheimer have been resounding successes since their shared Jul. 21 release. That said, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond admitted Dead Reckoning Part One could get a second run at IMAX theaters once "Barbenheimer" ends as the Christopher McQuarrie-helmed movie hopes to make a significant profit on its $291 million budget.

RELATED: Why Mission: Impossible 7 Doesn't End on a Cliffhanger

Fans can look forward to more death-defying stunts from Cruise when Dead Reckoning Part Two follows up Part One , with the eighth Mission: Impossible movie slated for release on Jun. 28, 2024. However, production on the upcoming film has been halted due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing in theaters.

Source: Instagram

• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

• Updated Terms of Use
• New Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Closed Caption Policy
• Accessibility Statement

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

Tom Cruise jumped a motorcycle off a cliff in Norway, but what bike was it?

The action star was in norway filming a stunt for next year’s 'mission impossible 7'.

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for September 8

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment.

Tom Cruise can fly, and not just when he’s making “Top Gun” movies.

The action star was in Norway this past weekend filming a stunt for next year’s “Mission Impossible 7” that involved riding a motorcycle off a gigantic ramp built on top of a mountain and parachuting from the bike as it fell to the ground.

The 58-year-old wasn’t wearing a helmet and repeated the feat four times, according to the Associated Press. But what about that bike was he riding?

GEIR OLSEN/NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

It’s hard to tell at the distance he was photographed from, but he previously practiced for the stunt on smaller setup in August in the U.K. while attached to safety lines, with photos revealing that he was riding a lightly modified red white and black Honda CR450R.

He also tried out one painted silver , and when you zoom in on the shots from Norway, that appears to be what he was on.

The CR450R is primarily used for motocross and supercross racing and more than capable of jumping off a ramp, if not landing at the bottom of a cliff, while a street legal version with lights called the CR450L is also available.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Tom Cruise Rode A Motorcycle Off A Cliff Multiple Times For Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

The "Mission: Impossible" franchise is known for many things, including its exhilarating fight scenes and abundance of slick spy villains, but while those are always expected, what people get extremely excited to see are the insane stunts performed by its star, Tom Cruise. From the skyscraper Spider-Man-style climb in "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" to hanging off the side of an aircraft taking off in "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation," there is no shortage of pulse-pounding thrills jam-packed into each entry of the franchise. 

Of all the people involved in bringing those game-changing antics to life on screen, the one that deserves the most credit is, without a doubt, Cruise. His commitment to giving fans a bigger and better spectacle in each entry has a lot to do with why the franchise has generated over $3 billion at the box office (via The Numbers ). And it appears Cruise is going to keep that tradition going for "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," having undergone a death-defying stunt a surprising amount of times and lived to talk about it.

Tom Cruise cheated death half a dozen times to pull off the epic stunt

The trailer for "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" revealed that Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt would be driving a motorcycle off of a cliff in the film. In order to prepare for such a life-threatening ordeal, the actor had to go through a rigorous preparation process involving excessive amounts of skydiving and motorcycle jumps. In a behind-the-scenes featurette (via YouTube ) showcasing how it all went down, base jumping coach John Devore called the epic endeavor "pretty much the biggest stunt in cinema history. Tom Cruise just rode a motorcycle off a cliff six times today." Doing such a dangerous maneuver would be the kind of thing many would likely presume is a one-and-done affair, but when Cruise is at the helm, it's best to expect the unexpected.

While he may make the entire thing look simple, the actor himself would tell you it's anything but, and he had a lot of concerns while doing the daring sequence. Cruise mentioned the wind, the helicopter, and the execution of the jump all being a problem, as well as his parachute, saying, "I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don't want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that's not going to end well." Luckily, all the planning and training that went into it paid off, as the actor was able to successfully and safely perform the amazing stunt six times in order to get the perfect shot.

The "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" stunt looks like it could very well be one of the franchise's best and help secure the seventh chapter a coveted spot on the list of best "Mission: Impossible" movies .

• Gameumentary
• Review in 3 Minutes
• Design Delve
• Extra Punctuation
• Zero Punctuation
• Area of Effect
• Escape the Law
• In the Frame
• New Narrative
• Out of Focus
• Slightly Something Else
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Affiliate Policy

Watch Tom Cruise Drive a Motorcycle Off a Cliff 6 Times for New Mission: Impossible Stunt

Tom Cruise had some weird childhood dreams. Most of us think about going to the moon or maybe being a fireman. Tom Cruise? Tom Cruise dreamed about driving a motorcycle off a cliff into a base jump, or so he claims in this absolutely bonkers behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , which features a stunt in which Cruise does exactly that.

By this time we all know that Cruise is absolutely batshit crazy on many levels, but the level that benefits us is that he loves doing his own stunts. And it makes his action set pieces, whether they be in jets or on motorcycles, so much better than anyone else’s out there. As we saw in the breathtaking trailer for the upcoming  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , at one point in the film Cruise’s Ethan Hunt drives a motorcycle off a cliff and then parachutes to safety. Launching oneself off a cliff into oblivion just to pull a parachute out of nowhere is a pretty standard action trope at this point, but having your leading man do it himself is something entirely different. The short documentary goes behind the scenes on what it took for Tom Cruise to get the  Mission: Impossible motorcycle cliff stunt right (six times), including 500 skydives and 13,000 jumps on a dirt bike.

Obviously, we don’t know the end result as the movie isn’t out yet, but it will probably be as amazing as Cruise’s other outings in the franchise that were directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film itself is the first of a two-parter that may be bringing an end to the franchise, or at least Cruise’s involvement in it. There is little known about the plot outside of what we’ve seen in the trailer, but it appears Hunt and his lovable gang of people who do impossible missions with him are embroiled once again in international intrigue. What we do know is the film is packed with action and that this stunt, which Cruise trained more than a year for, is just a small part of it.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One   jumps into theaters on July 14, 2023.

Watch CBS News

Tom Cruise performed his most dangerous stunt yet — riding a motorcycle off a cliff and BASE jumping

Screen Rant

“i was very close”: tom cruise’s big mission: impossible 7 stunt almost went terribly wrong.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Bad Boys 4 Killed Two Major Characters Off-Screen 21 Years After Their Last Appearances

The harry potter books perfectly flip 1 chamber of secrets reveal in half-blood prince, why molly ringwald & judd nelson aren't in the brat pack documentary.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One star Tom Cruise reveals that his showstopping motorcycle cliff jump stunt very nearly ended in disaster. The seventh film in the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise sees director Christopher McQuarrie once again at the helm with Cruise returning as superspy Ethan Hunt to face off against a new enemy. The movie continues Cruise's penchant for dangerous stunts, with one standout sequence involving the star driving a motorcycle off a cliff before then deploying a parachute and gliding to safety.

Ahead of the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One release date next month, Cruise tells ET Canada at the film's Rome premiere that prepping for his motorcycle stunt almost went very wrong. During an initial parachute jump in the location to get a feel for the wind, the star describes how a miscalculation almost resulted in parachuting into the cliff face. Check out Cruise's recollection of the stunt below:

“It’s funny that you mentioned engineering, because there’s as you know, there’s a lot of engineering in there to figure out that ramp, where the bowl is, the speed, you know, we’re testing wind conditions early on, I set all that up. That’s how I approach these things. “You know, I’m thinking, first of all, Mc Q [director Christopher McQuarrie] and I, we come up with something and then go, ‘how do we do it?’ and we break it down. And luckily, like I’ve been skydiving for years and [riding] motorcycles and [doing] jumps, but you’ve got to hone it and make it perfect. I’m thinking about performance, I’m thinking about where’s that helicopter going across the stuff to make sure I don’t get blown off of the ramp. “I don’t want to get blown off that ramp. And once I hit it, I don’t want that drone to hit me, you know? And then when my chute opens and you can see it in EPK when I’m in the bowl and I was testing the wind in that bowl and I jumped out of the helicopter… you can see when I opened it, I was in the wrong position and I opened the parachute, and the parachute turned into the side of the mountain. “I could just at the last second, I was very close. My chute was pretty close to the side of the mountain. So you really have to watch every aspect of that to make sure that [nothing goes wrong]. You know, I’ve got a few things on my mind when I’m doing that. Plus I’m producing the movie. And it was day one. So I’m thinking, ‘Let’s get through this, let’s get this done.'”

Tom Cruise's Approach To Mission: Impossible Stunts Explained

Over the course of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise has undertaken a number of jaw-dropping stunts, including scaling the outside of the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , doing a protracted breath-hold for an underwater sequence in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , and doing a HALO jump for Mission: Impossible – Fallout . While many of these stunts are indeed dangerous, it's important to note that Cruise also takes safety very seriously.

As his franchise costars will attest, the big stunts that end up on screen are the result of often months of planning, training, and rehearsing. Cruise's HALO jump in Mission: Impossible – Fallout , for example, required the creation of a new type of skydiving helmet and the actor is said to have done over 100 skydives as part of the planning phase alone. There is certainly danger involved in these stunts, then, but they are meticulously crafted to be as safe as they can possibly be.

Cruise's motorcycle jump in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , as shown in the video above, involved a similar approach. The actor is said to have trained for about a year in base-jumping, advanced skydiving, and motocross before undertaking the feat. Another way that the production made the stunt safer and more predictable was to have the actor jumping off of a long, man-made ramp instead of off a cliff edge, with the ramp then being erased using CGI. As Cruise's latest story reveals, however, there is always still the possibility for calamity despite the extensive preparation work.

Source: ET Canada

Key Release Dates

Mission: impossible - dead reckoning part one, mission: impossible - dead reckoning part two.

• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

Everything We Know

Mission: impossible - dead reckoning part one and part two : release date, trailers, cast & more, we break down the characters, the ensemble cast, the plot, the release date, and more..

TAGGED AS: Action , blockbusters , movies

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch Tom Cruise drive a motorcycle off a cliff. The seventh movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise will hit theaters this July, and it looks as though it will continue Cruise’s tradition of putting increasingly jaw-dropping, death defying stunts into each one of these action flicks. But, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will just be the first half of a two-part story, as the title suggests. Ahead of the premiere of the first half of Ethan Hunt’s next mission, we’ve done our own stunt work and gathered up everything you need to know about the Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two .

When Do Parts One and Two Come Out?

(Photo by Christian Black/©Paramount Pictures)

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One , the seventh film in the Crusie-led film adaptation of the ’60s and ’70s espionage TV series , hits theaters soon, on July 12, 2023. Fans won’t have to wait (that) long for the conclusion, as Part Two is set to premiere slightly under a year later, on June 28, 2024. However, filming on Part Two is currently paused due to the Writers Strike, so it’s quite possible that the release date will be delayed again.

Both movies will be exclusive theatrical releases — and if they’re anything like Top Gun: Maverick , another Cruise movie from Paramount Pictures, the same studio behind Mission: Impossible , they won’t be streaming for a while. Maverick hit Paramount+ more than 200 days after its theatrical premiere.

Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Dead Reckoning would have already been released, as Part One was originally slated for a July 2021 premiere. Delays due to the pandemic and subsequent COVID filming protocols (this is where Cruise’s viral, uh, virus rant originated) pushed the release back to 2022, then eventually to 2023.

Though it’s rare that any franchise ever truly ends, Dead Reckoning Part Two is expected to be the end of the franchise — at least as it currently exists.

Who’s Directing It?

Christopher McQuarrie , the director who took Mission: Impossible to new heights starting with Rogue Nation , the fifth film in the franchise, returns for both Part One and Part Two of Dead Reckoning . McQuarrie also co-wrote both installments with Erik Jendresen .

Who’s In It?

Tom Cruise first played IMF agent extraordinaire Ethan Hunt in 1996 when the original Mission: Impossible hit theaters. He’ll have just turned 61 when Dead Reckoning Part One premieres, and Part Two will supposedly be his final appearance as the character, some 28 years later.

He’ll be joined by several returning cast members, including Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames as his fellow IMF agents Benji Dunn and Luther Stickell, respectively. Rebecca Ferguson returns as ex-MI6 agent Ilsa Faust, and Henry Czerny returns as former IMF director Eugene Kittridge, a character who hasn’t been seen since the original ‘96 franchise-starter. Vanessa Kirby returns as Alanna Mitsopolis, the black market arms dealer-turned-uneasy ally to Ethan Hunt, as does Frederick Schmidt , playing her brother Zola Mitsopolis.

There are lots of new additions to the franchise as well. Hayley Atwell , best known for playing Peggy Carter in the MCU, joins as Grace, a character McQuarrie described as a “ destructive force of nature ” with “somewhat ambiguous loyalties” on the franchise-focused Light the Fuse podcast . Ozark’ s Esai Morales plays the film’s primary villain, Gabriel (Morales took over for Renfield star Nicholas Hoult , who dropped out due to scheduling issues), while Guardians of the Galaxy’ s Pom Klementieff plays an assassin who works for Gabriel.

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Shea Whigham , recently seen in HBO’s Perry Mason , plays Jasper Briggs, an enforcer in a mysterious group known as “The Community” who is attempting to track Ethan Hunt down along with his partner, played by Greg Tarzan Davis . Charles Parnell ( Top Gun: Maverick ), Rob Delaney ( Deadpool 2 ), Indira Varma ( Obi-Wan Kenobi ), and Mark Gatiss ( Sherlock ) also star, as does The Princess Bride’ s Cary Elwes in an as-yet undisclosed role.

Recent Oscar-winner Angela Bassett , who played CIA director Erika Sloane, was originally supposed to reprise her role but couldn’t due to COVID travel restrictions.

The cast for Part Two hasn’t fully been revealed, though it’s probably safe to assume that most of the major actors from Part One will appear once more, assuming they survive the first movie. We do know, however, that Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham will join the ensemble, as will Parks & Rec’ s Nick Offerman , who plays Sydney, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

What Is Dead Reckoning About?

Candidly speaking, the plots of the Mission: Impossible movies aren’t really their main appeal. They tend to be slick, serviceable MacGuffin chases that are an entertaining framework for banter and Tom Cruise’s insane stunts. But we do have some idea of what to expect from Dead Reckoning Part One . Here’s the official synopsis from Paramount:

“In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most.”

Tracking down a weapon that threatens humanity before the bad guys get it? Dark forces from Ethan’s past? A deadly race around the globe, and a mysterious enemy? This is, in other words, pretty standard spy movie stuff, but few franchises are capable of pulling it off with as much style as Mission: Impossible . No specifics for the plot for Part Two have been revealed, so as not to spoil Part One , but it’s probably safe to say it won’t deviate too far from the tried and true formula, even as it serves to wrap up loose ends from  Part One .

How Long Will It Be?

Part One is on the longer side. Without credits, it boasts a runtime of 2 hours and 36 minutes. The length of Part Two , of course, is TBD.

How Many Trailers Are There?

While there have been no trailers for Part Two yet, naturally, there have been a few for Part One . The first , which was light on dialogue, came out in May of 2022, more than a year before the film’s release. The full trailer came out a year later.

While they’re not quite trailers, Paramount also released a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes, one of which centers on Cruise’s most dangerous and ambitious stunt yet — driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety. It’s wild, and it certainly inspires a deeper appreciation for the work that went into the stunt, but if you don’t want to spoil the majesty of it all, it’s probably best to check it out after you’ve seen the film.

Is Tom Cruise Doing His Own Stunts?

Did you not see the featurette right there? The man drove a motorcycle off a cliff!

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in theaters on July 12, 2023. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two opens in theaters on June 28, 2024.

Thumbnail image by ©Paramount Pictures

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News .

Related News

All 28 Pixar Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Inside Out 2 First Reviews: Maya Hawke Steals the Show in Pixar’s Smart, Necessary Sequel

Pixar Movies In Order: How to Watch Their Movies Chronologically

More Everything We Know

James Gunn’s Superman : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More

Deadpool & Wolverine : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More

Joker: Folie à Deux : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

Hacks Creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs Discuss That Scene from the Emotional Season 3 Finale

June 13, 2024

The Boys Cast on Homelander’s Leadership and Exploding Heads

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

June 12, 2024

Top Headlines

• Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now –
• Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
• All 28 Pixar Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Pixar Movies In Order: How to Watch Their Movies Chronologically –
• Sam Rockwell Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• 300 Best Movies of All Time –

'Mission: Impossible' star teases Tom Cruise leveling up his stuntwork in 'Dead Reckoning Part Two': 'He's unbelievable'

• Tom Cruise is known for doing epic action stunts, including in the "Mission: Impossible" movies.
• His costar Shea Whigham said that the franchise's eighth film is even wilder.
• Whigham says that Cruise "does stuff that's gonna make number seven pale in comparison."

If you thought Tom Cruise's legendary "Mission: Impossible" motorcycle stunt was the wildest thing you'd see him do, think again.

Flying a helicopter ? Been there (and used those skills to terrorize Glen Powell , apparently). Scale a cliff in "Mission: Impossible 2" ?Child's play. Jump between buildings in "Fallout?" Well, he did break his ankle, but Cruise came out all right in the end and managed to pull off a high-altitude, low-open skydive stunt while it was healing.

Related stories

The point is — Tom Cruise loves doing stunts . And according to Cruise's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" costar Shea Whigham, that was just the beginning.

"Tom Cruise does stuff that's gonna make number seven pale in comparison," Whigham told Business Insider. "He's unbelievable in the next one."

BI spoke with Whigham at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere for his newest movie, "Lake George," a neo-noir film written and directed by Jeffrey Reiner. Whigham's character, Don, is a white-collar criminal who, upon his release from prison, gets a final task from his boss: kill the boss' girlfriend. Instead, Don teams up with the girlfriend, Phyllis (Carrie Coon), to take the boss down.

In "Dead Reckoning," parts one and two, Whigham plays Jasper Briggs, an agent on Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) tail. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that he finished filming "Mission: Impossible 8" (a.k.a. "Dead Reckoning" part two) in May. Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, however, are still working, Whigham said.

"What he's doing now, people are going to be floored," Whigham told The Hollywood Reporter. "He wants to make this one like an adventure film, and he and McQuarrie have an idea of what they want to do with it. So it's going to be amazing."

Watch: Behind the scenes on Tom Cruise's most daring 'Mission: Impossible' stunts

• Main content

“Pretty cheesy, yeah”: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Star Calling Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 2 Cheesy Was the Last Thing on Our 2024 Bingo Cards

T here is a list of great many things on Tom Cruise’s daily planner that he needs to accomplish, preferably before sundown. One of those things does not include being insulted for his already heavily criticized movie – Mission: Impossible II  – 24 years after its release. However, Carrie Coon missed the memo on the subject since it is only now that the actress has started binge-watching all of Ethan Hunt’s magnificent globe-trotting adventures.

Carrie Coon Gives an Honest Take on  Mission: Impossible II

In a recap of her Mission: Impossible watch-along misadventures, Carrie Coon , in a fun June 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter , revealed what she thinks of Tom Cruise ’s nascent days as Ethan Hunt, the super spy. After clearing up her brief confusion on which one of the sequels was considered more “notorious,” she went on to claim Mission: Impossible II as “pretty cheesy.”

Despite His Life Threatening Stunts in Mission Impossible, Tom Cruise May Never Break This World Record by Jackie Chan

With a weak screenplay, poorly written characters, and an unnecessary number of slow-motion sequences, the only saving grace of Mission: Impossible II  was Thandie Newton ‘s seductive acting and the film’s expressive stunt choreography.

What Went Wrong With Tom Cruise’s  Mission: Impossible II ?

Of all the things that could go wrong in a movie – script, casting, direction, or film editing – it is truly surprising when the whole production goes off without a hitch, and yet the movie ends up putting the audience off after completion. Nothing better than erasing such a movie from its very existence would satisfy one’s soul and Tom Cruise’s  Mission: Impossible II  holds a very high rank in this sour list of misfired Hollywood experiments.

“People are going to be floored”: Mission Impossible 8 Star Reveals Details about One Epic Scene With Tom Cruise, Promises Fans Have No Idea What’s Coming

Walking out of the theaters after 2 hours and 3 minutes of pure retinal torture and with one’s skull still rattling from the film’s egregious lack of substance, it is surprising the critics could report back to their workstations and sign off on an aggregate of 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes . Commercially, however, Mission: Impossible II earned 4.4x more than its $125 million budget by cashing in $549.5 million worldwide [via  The Numbers ].

Mission: Impossible II  is available for streaming on Paramount+

Mission: Impossible 8 is scheduled to premiere on May 23, 2025.