Tom Cruise gives the OK sign as he begins shooting a jaw-dropping scene where he gets to cling on a moving aircraft. (Photo : YouTube)
Ethan Hunt is back.
Tom Cruise reprises his role for the fifth time as the elusive IMF agent in “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.”
Based from the movie trailer, the action-packed scenes don't reveal the actor’s age, not even when he was seen fighting off the bad guys shirtless. The fit 53-year-old Cruise pulled off some amazing stunts, including one where viewers can see him hanging off the side of an aircraft from the moment it takes off until it flies 5,000 feet off the ground.
Academy Award-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie directed the fifth installment of the “Mission Impossible” series. This is the fourth movie where he and Cruise worked together.
McQuarrie co-wrote and produced Bryan Singer’s 2008 historical drama “Valkyrie” about real-life German World War II Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg played by Cruise. He directed Cruise in the 2012 thriller “Jack Reacher” and co-wrote Doug Liman’s 2014 sci-fi “Edge of Tomorrow” where Cruise stars as Major William Cage battling space aliens.
Fans of Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye in Joss Whedon’s 2012 “The Avengers” and 2015 “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) would see him again as William Brandt. Parent Herald reported that Renner signed a three-picture deal, and his character was initially introduced in Brad Bird’s 2011 “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.”
The Movie Mash reported that film company Paramount said that Renner was picked for “Ghost Protocol” because the actor possessed a “Daniel Craig quality.” England-born Craig is the seventh actor to play the iconic Secret Service agent James Bond.
English singer-screenwriter-director Simon Pegg also reprises his role as technical field agent Benji Dunn. He and Renner first appeared in “Ghost Protocol.”
American actor Ving Rhames is also back as Luther Stickell. Rhames has been part of the cast since the first series.
Veteran award-winning actor Alec Baldwin stars as Alan Hunley, an incoming Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief. His character wants to dissolve the fictional agency Impossible Missions Force (IMF) where Hunt and his team work for.
Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson is the movie’s female lead. The 31-year-old plays the gun-toting, strong-kicking Ilsa Faust.
The popular spy film is based on the American TV series “Mission: Impossible” created, written, directed and produced by Bruce Geller (1930-1978). It first aired from Sept. 1966 to March 1973 and again from Oct. 1988 to Feb. 1990.
Alibaba’s Jack Ma invested in the movie through Alibaba Pictures Group, the former ChinaVision Media. It is the first time the billionaire’s film company invested in a Hollywood production.
“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” opens in the country on Sept. 8.
