Tom Cruise has attempted the most dangerous stunt in his entire career, all in aid of the new Mission: Impossible film.
In the latest movie of the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , the actor, 60, was tasked with a stunt that involved a motorcycle jump off of a cliff into a base jump.
A video that was shared to social media gave fans of the films an insight into how Cruise prepared for the deadly feat.
Speaking about this particular stunt, Cruise said: "I've wanted to do it since I was a little kid. It all comes down to one thing - the audience."
On the stunt, Christopher McQuarrie, the film's director, said that "there's a lot going into this stunt."
He continued: "Tom put together this master plan to coordinate all of these experts in each of the particular disciplines involved to make this whole thing happen."
Cruise reportedly underwent a year of base training in preparation for the stunt, alongside advanced skydive training, canopy and tracking skills, living by his "don't be careful, be confident" mantra.
He also completed more than 500 skydives and over 13,000 motocross jumps as part of his training.
He said: "I have to get so good at this that there's just no way that I miss my marks.”
On the stunt, base jumping coach Miles Daisher reportedly said that there are plenty of things that could go wrong, so much that “you’re not going to make it.”
Cruise was reportedly supported by drone cameras, a GPS chip, a ramp constructed with materials flown in by helicopter, and an internal speedometer, as his motorcycle doesn't have one, which ensured that he did make it, and that he actually completed the dangerous stunt six times in one day.
McQuarrie said: "This is far and away the most dangerous thing we've ever attempted. The only thing that scares me more is what we have planned for Mission 8 ."
The stunt was filmed on a cliff in Norway, with filmmakers constructing the giant ramp that Cruise rode the motorcycle off.
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One is set to release in theatres on July 14, 2023.
