Tom Cruise Turns 61: Behind the Scenes of “High-Speed Low-Altitude Flight with a Parachute

Last Updated on 07/03/2023 by てんしょく飯

July 3rd is Tom Cruise’s birthday. He is 61 years old. From the 7th popular movie series “Mission: Impossible / Dead Reckoning PART ONE” (released in the U.S. on July 12th) starring Tom Cruise, who is attracting attention for transcendental actions such as bike jumps on cliffs that do not make you feel such age, A special video showing the making of a new action scene has been released.

In this film, Tom Cruise operates a parachute at an incredibly high speed and descends steeply down a steep cliff, challenging himself with “speedflying”.

Speedflying is an extremely thrilling sky sport in which one uses a small, high-speed speedglider or skydiving parachute, takes off with one’s own feet like a paraglider, and glides at high speed through the air at low altitude as if licking the surface of a mountain.

Director Christopher McQuarrie, who has worked with Tom since “Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation” (2015) and with whom he has built a strong relationship of trust both publicly and privately, says with an air of mastery, “Tom knows no limits. Tom is somewhat happy to talk about the intense speedflying, saying, “It’s a beautiful and delicate sport.

However, McCurry and speedflying coordinator John DeBoer say, “It’s also very dangerous. It is not unlike skydiving. Skydiving is predictable, but speedflying is not. It is a small parachute that drops you down a mountain. Even the slightest crosswind can be dangerous.

Despite the seemingly exhilarating spectacle, the risks are the greatest of all, with speeds of over 80 km/h. A momentary lapse in judgment during the flight could result in serious injury. The film shows Tom Cruise’s further evolution as he boldly takes up the challenge of speedflying, which he has been training for several years, “for the sake of the audience who looks forward to the movie” and “for more powerful images.

In the released video, he says, “Action is not just about doing. The challenge is how to film Tom at high speed. Since we couldn’t get close enough with a helicopter or drone, we developed a special device to be attached to Tom. We put a camera on his waist and operate it from a helicopter. The images are beautiful, but the actual filming is terrifying,” said McCarey, who was intent on capturing the sheer force and intensity of Tom’s deadly action on screen.

If the helicopter is here, I’m here. The actual action depends on the weather. It’s too dangerous (laughs). The flight footage is so realistic that you can feel the reason why Tom Cruise is still a star.

July 13th is officially designated as “Ethan Hunt Day.

July 13th is “Ethan Hunt Day,” an official commemorative day in Japan named after Ethan. To commemorate this day, the previous film “Mission: Impossible: Fallout” will be screened in IMAX 2D subtitled version at 46 theaters nationwide for one day only.

Visitors will receive a valuable limited edition art card set (containing two cards) of the latest film, “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One!　This will be an opportunity not to be missed by fans of the series who want to review the new film in anticipation of its release, as well as by newcomers to the series who were first attracted to Tom Cruise by “Top Gun Maverick,” released last year.

Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie will be visiting Japan this month, and the film is expected to gain even more momentum in the lead-up to its release. Tom’s latest film is filled with the sight of him perfectly executing a dangerous action sequence in a terrifying situation that could be catastrophic if it goes wrong. On the occasion of Tom’s 61st birthday and the IMAX screening of the previous film, why not take a look back at the “Mission: Impossible” series?

Mission: Impossible” is an action spy film series that follows the exploits of Ethan Hunt, a member of the IMF spy organization played by Tom Cruise, and the team led by him. In addition to Tom, the latest film stars Ving Rhames (“Mission: Impossible”) as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg (“Mission: Impossible 3” and subsequent series) as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation” and beyond), as well as Vanessa Kirby as the White Widow, a character shrouded in mystery who joined the cast of the previous film, “Mission: Impossible: Fallout.

The comeback of Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittredge, who appears for the first time since the first film in the series and once again hunts down Ethan, has also been confirmed. And Hayley Atwell (“Avengers: Endgame”) as the heroine who fights alongside Ethan, and Pom Klementieff (“Guardians of the Galaxy” series) and Esai Morales (“Bad Boys,” “The Town”) as the strongest villains for the first time.