Tom Cruise’s Wild ‘Mission: Impossible’ Stunt Took Over 100 Takes to Nail

Tom Cruise’s dedication to performing extreme stunts is legendary, starting with the 1996 film ‘Mission: Impossible’. In this initial instalment, Cruise set the bar high with daring sequences like being chased by an exploding aquarium and performing high-wire stunts. As the franchise progressed, Cruise continuously outdid himself with increasingly perilous feats, including scaling the Burj Khalifa and holding his breath underwater for several minutes.

In ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’, Cruise took on one of his most ambitious stunts yet: a HALO (High Altitude, Low Open) jump from 25,000 feet. This stunt, where Cruise leapt from a plane travelling at 165 mph and reached speeds up to 200 mph, involved extensive preparation and coordination. 

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Filming required approval from the UAE government, military cooperation, and meticulous logistical planning. Cruise and his team performed numerous practice jumps and rehearsed in wind tunnels to perfect the stunt. Despite the preparation, capturing the perfect shot was challenging, with only a narrow window each day to film the jump during ideal lighting conditions.

In total, Cruise completed 106 jumps to secure the necessary footage for this jaw-dropping sequence. His commitment to realism and danger was further demonstrated in ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’, where he performed a cliffside motorcycle jump and BASE jump, involving 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps in preparation. 

–Farheen Ali