‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’: Audience member nearly suffers heart attack during early screening of Tom Cruise film

The production on this eighth installment in the franchise has already faced multiple delays, including disruptions from the Hollywood writers’ strike in mid-2023

Christopher McQuarrie, director of the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has shared details of an intense audience reaction during an early screening of the film.

In an interview with Empire, McQuarrie recalled a moment where a viewer described the experience as physically overwhelming. “Someone said, ‘I was suffocating throughout the entire sequence. I almost had a heart attack,’” McQuarrie said. “I thought, ‘I guess we did something right.’”

The film, which stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, is set to feature the death-defying action the franchise is known for. Early promotional material has highlighted sequences involving underwater scenes and a submarine, continuing the tradition of ambitious stunts led by Cruise.

The production faced multiple delays, including disruptions from the Hollywood writers’ strike in mid-2023. As the eighth installment in the series, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning serves as a direct follow-up to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

In addition to Cruise, the film features returning cast members Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, and Pom Klementieff. The film is slated for a theatrical release on May 23, 2025, with McQuarrie, who has directed every entry since Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, once again at the helm.

Published - January 22, 2025 10:56 am IST