Tom Cruise has once again jumped out of a plane — this time to deliver another thank you to fans of “Top Gun: Maverick” while hurtling through the troposphere.
“Hey everyone, here we are over stunning South Africa, and we’re filming ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” parts one and two,” Cruise yells to a camera over the blaring ambient sound of an aircraft whirring. “I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theaters, and thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’”
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A little over 20 seconds in, the camera pans to reveal Christopher McQuarrie, who returns to the “Mission: Impossible” series to helm “Dead Reckoning.” McQuarrie also wrote “Top Gun: Maverick” and produced the action feature, alongside Cruise and David Ellison.
McQuarrie also thanks fans of the “Top Gun” franchise before turning his focus back to Cruise: “Hey, listen, we really have got to roll. We’ve got to get this shot.”
Cruise grins, nonchalantly points a finger gun at McQuarrie before promptly jumping out of the aircraft — alongside a cameraman, presumably. With his full body extended into a starfish position to brace against the air resistance, Cruise brings his attention back to the camera and resumes his speech.
“As always, thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It truly is the honor of a lifetime. I’m running out of altitude, so I’ve got to get back to work. We’ve got to get this shot. You have a very safe and happy holiday. We’ll see you at the movies,” Cruise concludes, before being whisked away in a wind current toward the ocean.
“Top Gun: Maverick” remains the highest grossing film of the year, earning a whopping $718 million at the domestic box office and $1.4 billion worldwide.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” will feature the return of several other franchise veterans like Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny. The official trailer sees Cruise in a number of action-packed sequences, like a nightclub fistfight, a chase atop a moving train and, of course, lots of falling.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” will be released in theaters by Paramount Pictures on July 14, 2023. The sequel, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two,” is currently scheduled to be released on June 28, 2024.
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