Paramount CEO Bob Bakish recently revealed that Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One made people lose their minds at an early test screening. Set to release this July, Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the first of a two-part entry in the long-running American spy film series. The Top Gun: Maverick star is joined by series regulars Ving Rhames as Luther Stickwell, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, and Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust. The upcoming film introduces La Bamba star Esai Morales as the film's antagonist and Marvel Cinematic Universe actor, Hayley Atwell, as the mysterious Grace.
While speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference (via Deadline), Bakish claimed "the audience lost their mind" in an early test screening for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. The CEO went on to praise the movie and Cruise for his work on the project. Read what Bakish said below:
“The movie is insane. It’s a complete thrill ride, and Tom, you know, he’s very good.”
Will Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Be the Best Entries Yet
The first Mission: Impossible film was released in 1996, wowing audiences with its suspenseful set pieces despite its confusing but twisting plot. With each entry, Cruise pushes the franchise by topping its predecessor's action sequences and taking the narrative to new locales. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning sees the film series produce its first two-part story filmed back-to-back.
As seen with the majority of the action films in his career, Cruise strives for realism through breathtaking stunts that have yet to grace the silver screen. Top Gun: Maverick is a prime example of Cruise's dedication to the craft. The actor worked with the U.S. Navy to design a specialized boot camp for Top Gun: Maverick's cast, which included enrolling them in flight school to make the cast comfortable filming in real-life fighter jets. Cruise's plan worked as the high-flying action scenes helped make the film one of the highest-grossing and best-reviewed films of 2022.
Early trailers and released set photos have shown that Mission: Impossible 7 continues to push the franchise to new heights. The upcoming film will see Cruise atop a train, on horseback, in a frenetic car chase while handcuffed to Atwell, and free-falling off a cliff. Hence, early reactions to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One seems promising as the series continues to reach new heights with the story, death-defying missions, and stunts.
Source: Deadline