Alibaba Pictures, the film unit of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., has premiered the Tom Cruise-starred "Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation" in Shanghai.
The latest installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise is jointly produced by Alibaba Pictures, China Movie Channel and Paramount Pictures.
In "Mission: Impossible 5," Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, while Rebecca Ferguson enters as a new character, Ilsa Faust.
The film follows the continued legendary adventures of the group of spies known as the Impossible Mission Force. The new title offers the audience exciting scenes set in New York, London, Vienna and Casablanca.
Prior the premiere, chairman Jack Ma, who admitted he is a zealous fan of the franchise and the Hollywood A-lister, praised Cruise, saying, "How can a man be so handsome? How can a handsome man be that great?"
Cruise, who also served as the franchise's producer, remarked, "When you see this film, from the opening frame to the end, you are gonna see things that you really haven't seen on screen before."
The 53-year-old actor assured that moviegoers will see authentic thrilling stunts.
Both Ma and Cruise are idolized by the Chinese people. The two also shared that they have another common denominator--and that is working on things that seemed to be impossible for others, citing hard work, passion and great teamwork as keys toward success.
"Mission: Impossible 5" marks the first collaboration between Alibaba Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Bob Moore, the vice president of Paramount Pictures, told the media during a conference that he is optimistic that the firm's deals with Chinese companies will help them achieve greater heights in the future.