Tom Cruise is known for pulling off some of the most death-defying stunts in his films. The plane scene in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is one of the most exhilarating and memorable sequences in the entire franchise. In this scene, Tom Cruise pushed the boundaries of action filmmaking once again as he hung onto the side of a cargo plane while it took off.
Not only did the plane scene in Rogue Nation become one of the film’s most iconic moments, but it further solidified Tom Cruise’s status as a true action superstar. His willingness to take risks and perform jaw-dropping stunts has become a hallmark of the Mission: Impossible series, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating the next death-defying spectacle that Cruise will undertake.
How Did Tom Cruise Film The Plane Scene
In the film, Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, finds himself in a high-stakes situation where he must prevent a shipment of deadly nerve gas from falling into the wrong hands. Hunt intercepts the plane carrying the lethal cargo mid-flight as part of his daring plan.
After an extensive shoot in Austria and Morocco lasting over a month, the film’s production relocated to London on September 28. One of the remarkable action sequences filmed in London involved Ethan Hunt scaling and hanging onto the exterior of a flying Airbus A400M Atlas at RAF Wittering near Stamford.
Tom Cruise fearlessly undertook this sequence, reaching heights exceeding 5,000 feet (1,500 m) without the aid of a stunt double. The production team faced the challenge of completing this particular stunt within a limited 48-hour timeframe. The aircraft took off and landed eight times before achieving the desired shot.
Rogue Nation Had Another Crazy Stunt Scene
The film also had an underwater heist scene. To prepare for an underwater sequence captured in a continuous long take without edits, Tom Cruise underwent training with diving specialist Kirk Krack to enhance his breath-holding capabilities, enabling him to submerge for three minutes.
It should be noted that while the final scene in the movie incorporates breaks, giving the impression of multiple takes, the actual filming was executed as a single long take. Stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood asserts that Tom Cruise successfully held his breath for slightly over six minutes.
Additional scenes for the film were also captured at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom. The crew dedicated an entire month to filming in Leavesden’s underwater tank, which measured around 40 feet in length. Circular tracks were installed around the tank’s drive bays, allowing the camera and dolly to be securely attached to facilitate smooth camera movement. Leavesden Studios also provided the setting for various other shots, including insert shots, Tom Cruise sprinting through grass sequences, and multiple crowd shots.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is available for streaming on Fubo TV.
Source: The New York Times
