In a new featurette about the making of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” it is revealed that Tom Cruise left the film crew in a state of absolute terror during the shooting of a speed-flying stunt. Speed-flying is an extreme sport that combines paragliding and parachuting, but with a faster and foot-propelled approach, typically performed on steep mountainsides. Cruise learned this sport specifically for the movie. Christopher McQuarrie, the director of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, describes speed-flying as one of the most dangerous sports in the world, emphasizing its unpredictability compared to skydiving, which is relatively predictable.
McQuarrie says, “While it may look similar, speed-flying is not skydiving. Skydiving is fairly predictable. Speed-flying is very unpredictable.”
Cruise added, “It’s a very beautiful and delicate sport. We’re gonna do spirals, and we’re landing at an incredibly high speed, over 80 kilometers an hour.”
McQuarrie added that “we were all in absolute terror.”
Despite the inherent danger, Cruise considers speed-flying a beautiful and delicate sport, particularly in its portrayal in the film. The actor explains that they performed spirals and landed at incredibly high speeds, exceeding 80 kilometers per hour. However, behind the scenes, the crew experienced genuine concern for Cruise’s safety during the stunt. McQuarrie admits that they were all filled with absolute terror. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is set to release in theaters on July 12th.