Tom Cruise's relentless pursuit of performing all his own stunts bordered on the perilous. In the latest installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, titled "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," the 62-year-old actor embarked on breathtaking feats, including clinging precariously to a biplane and executing daring underwater sequences. Despite the option to utilize CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) for certain scenes, Cruise steadfastly opposed it, insisting on executing each stunt sans any artificial enhancements. His daring decision, while thrillingly bold, nearly led to a genuine perilous predicament during the filming of an underwater scene in the eighth iteration of the series.
The film features a heart-stopping sequence where Ethan Hunt plunges into the sunken ruins of the Sevastopol submarine to secure the Entity's source code. As the torpedoes collide, the submarine begins to roll ominously beneath the waves, heightening the stakes for survival to an excruciating level. Eastwood recounted that incorporating CGI torpedoes would have simplified matters significantly, but Cruise was relentless in his quest for authenticity, refusing to compromise the immersive experience for his audience.
During an interview on The Empire Film Podcast, Eastwood unveiled that the "Top Gun: Maverick" star did indeed encounter a harrowing moment while shooting this scene, albeit not fatal. "It wasn't dire, for Tom possesses an impressive ability to hold his breath for extended periods. Before he was fully extricated from his predicament, I had already started removing the equipment from him," Eastwood explained.
"Mission: Impossible 8" saw Cruise reunite with familiar faces, including Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, as they embarked on yet another high-stakes mission.
