If you had to choose one film theme that has defined movies in 2022, you might do far worse than Tom Cruise in an airplane.
Top Gun: Maverick was an undisputed winner, receiving rave reviews from critics and generating substantial box office returns in a year when the film industry desperately needed them. The film's success has resulted in a renewed respect for Cruises dedication to practical effects and doing his own stunts, increasing anticipation for next years Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning: Part I.
Cruise started stoking anticipation for both films this year at CinemaCon, where attendees were shown some early footage from Dead Reckoning as well as one of the earliest full screenings of Top Gun: Maverick. As IndieWire reported at the time, the screenings were pre-pre-taped by a video that featured Cruise speaking to the audience while holding a jet over South Africa for dear life.
Fans who couldnt make the trip to the exclusive Las Vegas event can now view the video on social media. And, evidently, Cruise performs his own stunts.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING CINEMACON FOOTAGE pic.twitter.com/kaHV1unlAE
Mar (@icemavs) on September 4, 2022
Cruise is accompanied in the air by Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed him in three Mission Impossible films (they're currently shooting a fourth) and co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick. Both actors are seen flying in separate planes, with Cruise expressing his excitement for both films and McQuarrie joking that he must stop talking to the audience because they must shoot a scene.
Fans of Cruise are likely to be enthralled by new footage of the actor flying a plane, as many others have already longed for a third Top Gun film. The cast and crew of Maverick havent been shy about wanting to reprise their roles in another production, but they all admit that it's ultimately Cruise's decision.
Miles Teller said recently that it's all up to Tom. I've been having some conversations with him about it. See.