Tom Cruise Trains for 3 Years for a Scene in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’
Tom Cruise has spent three years preparing for a high-speed parachute jump scene in the upcoming film ‘Mission: Impossible 7.’ He underwent training in various countries, explored different terrains, learned techniques, studied wind measurement, and how it interacts with the ground. Tom Cruise has always impressed the world with his daring stunts, especially in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series. Creating breathtaking and thrilling scenes requires rigorous training, sacrifice, and the talent of the 61-year-old actor.
The scene of Ethan Hunt riding a motorcycle and jumping off a cliff required 15 months of preparation and 536 practice jumps. Additionally, the actor had to undergo a series of training courses on skydiving, parachute control, and aircraft bailout techniques in dangerous angles to learn how to adjust his position in mid-air. According to Allan Hewitt, the project’s skydiving and parachute safety coordinator, Tom Cruise performed “more jumps than most athletes training for the World Championship.” For several months, Tom Cruise would practice skydiving in the mornings and train to ride a motorcycle on a slope in the afternoons.
After calculating the necessary parameters, the motorcycle course was built to be 135 meters long, 10.8 meters high, but alarmingly narrow, only 3 meters wide. Tom Cruise shared, “I need to train well to avoid any mistakes. We check everything. I don’t allow any chance for errors. Anytime we leave anything to chance, mistakes happen. So, we have a very detailed plan for training and testing.” The actor modified his Honda motorcycle into a world-class 300cc machine. The dangerous path was so narrow that he couldn’t install a speedometer because looking at it would mean losing sight of the road ahead, risking veering off the track and losing his life. He said, “I had to train myself to the point where I understood the speed of movement through the sound of the motorcycle and the sensation of molecules moving on my body.” 
When Tom Cruise flies the motorcycle off the cliff, he has only about 6 seconds to deploy the parachute. Allan Hewitt explained, “If he doesn’t manage to deploy the parachute in time, he will hit the cliff face about 2 seconds later. It’s that dangerous.” After executing the spectacular motorcycle jump, Cruise takes it a step further with an unbelievable feat, speedflying. Speedflying combines elements of skydiving and skiing. Speedfliers use a small parachute to glide down the slopes of mountains. Unlike traditional skydiving, speedflying doesn’t involve jumping from an airplane or fixed object, which introduces countless variables. Due to its high level of danger and technical requirements, this sport has very few participants worldwide. 
“Speedflying is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and it’s something we’ve been researching for a long time,” shared director Christopher McQuarrie. “One of the uniquely dangerous things about it is that you’re flying so close to the ground and at such high speeds. There are other risks associated with the parachute; it might not work as intended. Everything is hard to predict.” Tom Cruise trained for three years for the high-speed parachute jump scene. The actor stated, “I want to give the audience the feeling of actually flying.” He went through an extensive training process in various countries, studying different terrains, learning techniques, and understanding wind measurement and its interaction with the ground. The actor landed at a speed of 80 km/h during the filming at Lake Valley, England. 
In other action film projects, the crew often tries to conceal the use of stunt doubles for action scenes. However, in the case of ‘Mission: Impossible 7,’ it’s the opposite. Tom Cruise performs the daring stunts himself, and the crew’s task is to capture the full spectacle of the actor’s performances. Director Christopher McQuarrie added, “Along with the high-speed parachute jump, this is an extremely challenging task.” 
Overall, Tom Cruise’s dedication and training for the high-speed parachute jump scene in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ demonstrate his commitment to delivering thrilling and unforgettable experiences to the audience.
