In a striking twist of cinematic fate, actress Haley Atwell has positioned the Mission: Impossible franchise as the pinnacle of adventure cinema. This follows in the wake of Paramount Pictures’ Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny cratering at the box office with a paltry $60 million opening weekend.
Behind The Scenes: Crafting an Epic Train Sequence
With the release of a new featurette, the creators of Mission: Impossible are offering a glimpse into the making of an elaborate train sequence. The film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, unveiled the intense planning and creation process behind this ambitious action set-piece.
“When we started talking about this movie in terms of a sense of adventure, an action sequence on a train was something that we always wanted to do. We wanted to build upon the previous films and apply all of that knowledge to something practical and real, and bring this train sequence to another level,” said McQuarrie.
The director further discussed the unique challenges they faced while filming the sequence. The scarcity of available trains to crash led the team to build their train from scratch.
“There was not a surplus of trains available to be wrecked. We had to build the train if we wanted to destroy it. To shoot it practically was extremely challenging,” he continues. “Not just to execute, but to design all the different train cars. And it could actually function on a working railroad track.”
Raising the Bar for Practical Filmmaking
McQuarrie asserted the rarity and complexity of such an undertaking in today’s film industry.
“No one else in the world is doing this level of practical filmmaking and it may never be done again,” he stated.
The intricate fight scene on the train’s roof between Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, and Esai Morales’ character, Gabriel, also tested the filmmakers. Wade Eastwood, the film’s Stunt Coordinator, and Second Unit Director, underscored this sequence’s immense scope and challenge.
“The train sequence takes us on an adventure that is absolutely huge. We have this big fight on the roof, going 60 mph, going through a real valley,” detailed Eastwood.
“When you are hanging off a train carriage Tom is a great person to have beside you. Not only is he fearless, he’s always looking to see how it’s going to land for the audience,” said Atwell.
On Capturing an Extraordinary Adventure
Christopher McQuarrie admitted that coordinating the stunts and capturing them correctly on camera were equally challenging tasks.
“Crashing the train involved multiplying factors of difficulty. Every single camera had exactly one shot of getting it right,” McQuarrie shared. Tom Cruise chimed in saying, “It’s not just a matter of going off because if we do it all and we don’t capture it right, what’s the point?”
Despite the challenges, McQuarrie affirmed that every effort was made to create an immersive experience for the audience. Haley Atwell declared,
“Mission: Impossible is the most extraordinary adventure franchise you’ve ever seen.”
McQuarrie concluded by attributing the project’s success to the dedicated team and the commitment of actor Tom Cruise.
“You can only do it with a team like this and an actor like Tom,” McQuarrie affirmed.
The latest installment in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, arrives in theaters on July 12.
In light of the failure of Paramount Pictures‘ Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Haley Atwell’s comments and the featurette’s release timing seem loaded with implications. Was this a calculated move by Paramount to position Mission: Impossible as the superior adventure franchise, or was it just an innocent coincidence? The jury is still out on that one.
