He is known for doing all his own stunts.
So Tom Cruise plunged back into the action when he filmed daring scenes for the upcoming Mission Impossible 8 movie in the Lake District on Wednesday.
The intrepid actor – who celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this month – took in the sights of the British countryside as he jumped off a mountain and landed safely on the ground for an extreme stunt.
Exclusive: Daredevil Tom Cruise, 60, dropped from a mountain while filming more risky scenes for Mission Impossible 8 in the Lake District on Wednesday
Tom was dressed all in black for the scenes and made sure to take safety precautions while wearing a helmet.
The Academy Award nominee was seen chatting with crew members after reaching the bottom of the mountain safely, but wasted no time making sure he got the perfect shot by taking a helicopter back to the top to repeat the process.
Despite having just celebrated his 60th birthday, Tom proved he had no intention of slowing down his high action stunts.
The mission IS possible: The intrepid actor – who celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this month – took in the sights of the British countryside as he jumped off a mountain and landed safely on the ground for an extreme stunt
The daredevil stunt comes as the actor embarks on another first in his glittering film career after receiving extremely rare permission to film at Westminster Abbey in London for Mission: Impossible 8.
A film source told The Sun: ‘Nothing but the biggest and the best is enough’ [for Tom].
“So when he wanted to film in a church for the new Mission movie, it had to be Westminster Abbey. They turn down almost every request, so it’s an incredible nod to Tom and the production team to say yes.
“It’s going to be an extraordinary filming location and it sets the tone for how big this movie is going to be. The budget is of course enormous, but the ambitions are even greater.’
It comes after Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 were pushed back at the beginning of the year due to Covid-related delays.
The latest installment of the action saga, the seventh film, was first scheduled to release in July 2021, but was delayed until May this year and later postponed again to September 30.
However, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have announced that the film will now hit theaters on July 14, 2023 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on production.
As a result, the eighth film, which is expected to be released in July next year, will now only be released on July 28, 2024.
In a joint statement, the studios said: “After careful consideration, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have decided to postpone the release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic.
“We look forward to providing moviegoers with an unparalleled theater experience.”
Production on the seventh film – which will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie – began in Venice, Italy in February 2020, but was halted due to the pandemic and eventually moved to the UK when work was able to resume.
However, it was hit by delays twice, most recently in June 2021 after positive COVID-19 tests within the cast and crew.
Tom famously does his own stunts and it was recently revealed that he learned to fly a World War II military plane for Mission: Impossible 8.
A source recently told The Sun: “Tom had started learning to fly a Boeing Stearman biplane earlier this year for a big stunt scene in Mission: Impossible 8.
“Obviously it’s a very skillful job, but as usual he’s not about to take the turns or bring in a stuntman.
“Filming has only just ended with Mission: Impossible 7, but Tom hasn’t given himself a break. And it’s extremely dangerous to film breathtaking scenes with an 80-year-old airplane.’
Tom’s budget for the films, however, is said to raise eyebrows, with the star reportedly in crisis talks with Mission Impossible bosses after spending £290 million in production on the anticipated seventh and eighth episodes.
Sources told The Sun: ‘People are starting to sweat over the cost.
“No one could have predicted what happened, but the fact is that those delays and extra costs are now piling up and it’s starting to stand out.
“Even with someone as big as Tom and these movies, it’s the kind of money the studio has used heavily and bosses are desperate to see things come to the screen.”
After several delays, a very public collapse, and numerous attempts to operate in multiple countries during a global pandemic, the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is arguably the most expensive in its 26-year history.
While the 2018 release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout cost $190 million to produce, with filming in locations in France, England, Norway and New Zealand, the new production has claimed an unprecedented $290 million outlay.
A notable factor in the film’s huge budget was the global pandemic, which swept mainland Europe shortly after prime photography kicked off in Venice in February 2020.
Lockdown and a desperate attempt to evade COVID-19 resulted in an unfavorable start to production – with cast and crew forced to cease work after northern Italy closed its doors.
The first day of the main shoot was supposed to be filmed with Venice’s annual Carnival as an elaborate backdrop, but after the event was cancelled, director Christopher McQuarrie and his team moved to Rome – only to be shut down again when COVID cases hit the Italian capital. started to rise.
Sources claim that constant infections, coupled with national health restrictions and the pandemic’s refusal to subside, led to increased costs as crew members had to be paid, expenses paid and hotel accommodation offered during extended quarantine and lockdown periods.
The relentless push to finish the film may have been the catalyst for Cruise’s high-profile on-set meltdown in December 2020 after a crew member violated COVID protocol – further jeopardizing production.
Sources claim further problems arose in 2021, when Paramount faced a $50 million bill in overages caused by co-producer Skydance refusing to exceed their pre-agreed contractual requirement regarding financial contributions.
Teach: The actor is said to have recently learned how to operate a 1943 Boeing Stearman Model 75 after wrapping up the filming of Mission: Impossible 7 recently.