tom cruise mission impossible underwater

Tom Cruise Held His Breath For 6-Plus Minutes In 'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation'

With each Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise tries to raise the bar. Whether it's hanging off one of the tallest buildings in the world or being strapped to the side of an airplane in flight, he knows that seeing an actor doing a stunt raises the stakes in a film. And while that airplane stunt may have seemed to be the main event in this summer's Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation , that may not be the case.

Talking to USA Today , Cruise said he trained to hold his breath upwards of 6 minutes to film an underwater scene that plays a huge role in the latest trailer. Rewatch the scene and read the Tom Cruise underwater quotes below.

To start, here's the new Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation trailer that starts with the underwater scene.

Cruise talked to USA Today about the scene. He said this:

It's something I have always wanted to do. (Director Christopher McQuarrie) and I have been thinking about it since working on ' Edge of Tomorrow .' I have done a lot of underwater sequences. But we wanted to create a suspense underwater sequence without cuts. So doing that sequence was really interesting. We're underwater and we're doing breath-holds of 6 to 61/2 minutes. So I was doing all my training with the other stuff (on-set). It was very taxing stuff.

I know what you're thinking, and I was thinking that too. Is that even possible? Turns out, it's very possible. The world record for holding your breath underwater is around 22 minutes. That makes Cruise's 6 minute hold seem totally feasible. He worked with a performance underwater trainer named Kirk Krack to figure out the breathing technique and while there's no mention of how many takes it took, you can be sure there were plenty of precautions taken with the mega star.

See the stunt in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation when it open July 31.

Tom Cruise Holds His Breath for 6 Minutes in ‘Mission: Impossible’ Underwater Stunt (Video)

Actor underwent freediving training program designed for the military

Hanging off the side of an airplane wasn’t the only stunt Tom Cruise prepared for his latest “Mission: Impossible” film.

In order to film an underwater scene for “Rogue Nation,” the actor learned how to hold his breath for several minutes under the guidance of a freediving expert.

A new behind-the-scenes video featured on Access Hollywood , reveals the training process he underwent, which was originally designed as a military program.

“I had to prove to everyone that it was actually safe,” Cruise says in the clip. “Not only is it safe, but it’s better that I know how to hold my breath, because I’m going to be very relaxed. No one’s going to have to rush in, no one has to panic.”

Watch the video .

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

We’re going to get to see Tom Cruise do some epic underwater stunts in the next Mission Impossible film

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Christopher McQuarrie has promised explosive underwater scenes in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.

The 54-year-old director and action hero Tom Cruise have spent time working out how to perfect underwater sequences after using them in previous movies Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

Teasing the movie moment, he ensured they would be taken to the next level when the upcoming film in the long-running franchise is released next year.

Christopher told Collider : ‘Tom and I are constantly re-evaluating our own work and asking ourselves how we could have done it better.

‘We’ve done underwater in Edge of Tomorrow, and we worked underwater in Rogue Nation, and we left very dissatisfied with those sequences.’

The filmmaker continued: ‘And we analyse why we were dissatisfied. What were all the factors working against us? The biggest being, not having real knowledge in that area.

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‘Everything you’re looking at in ‘Dead Reckoning’ is the application of knowledge from previous sequences.’

Christopher previously described how he and Tom planned each Mission: Impossible movie thoroughly and said it was a big misconception that the pair winged it when making the blockbusters.

He said: ‘Tom and I never obsess about executing the plan. We always have a direction, we always have a place we’re going.

‘In our trying to describe the process, in retrospect, it sounds as though what we do is just flying by the seat of our pants and making it up as we go along. 

‘That’s not an accurate description. You are definitely flying in a direction, you’re definitely prepared.

‘You couldn’t be that cavalier without somebody getting seriously physically hurt. These things are planned within an inch of their life. 

‘Along the way, we see a shiny object and go for it.’ 

The director’s comments came after Tom himself admitted Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was the franchise’s ‘biggest moment’.

He said the two-part film was made with ‘a culmination of all my skills’ and that even those unfamiliar with the series would have an ‘epic adventure’.

Tom starred alongside Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and Ving Rhames in the seventh instalment of the franchise – which is part one of two – and saw him reprise his role of Ethan Hunt.

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Mission: Impossible Director Teases Another Underwater Scene For Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is jumping back in the water.

Spoilers for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

It honestly feels like there’s no feat Tom Cruise hasn’t attempted for a film at this point in his career. He’s scaled the side of a building, piloted real fighter jets and most recently, jumped off a cliff with a motorcycle. Cruise has also done a number of underwater scenes, which were likely thrilling for moviegoers. However, it would appear that the leading man isn’t done being submerged in H20, as Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie is teasing another underwater sequence for him. And in crafting that scene for the upcoming eighth film in the series, McQuarrie and Cruise hope to rectify their past work. 

Christopher McQuarrie has worked with the A-lister on several films over the years, two of which are Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation . Both critically acclaimed movies saw the Oscar nominee work with water. Believe it or not, McQuarrie and the Rain Man actor himself weren’t all that happy with how both experiences panned out. This may be surprising to some, but the filmmaker provided a valid reason as to why they were underwhelmed with the final results:

Tom and I are constantly reevaluating our own work and asking ourselves how we could have done it better. We've done underwater sequences previously. We've worked underwater in Edge of Tomorrow, and we worked underwater in Rogue Nation, and we left very dissatisfied with those sequences. And we analyze why we were dissatisfied. What were all the factors working against us? The biggest being, not having real knowledge in that area. Everything you're looking at in Dead Reckoning is the application of knowledge from previous sequences.

I personally enjoyed watching Tom Cruise ’s Ethan Hunt and Rebecca Ferguson ’s Ilsa Faust infiltrating a submerged vault in Rogue Nation . The same is true of the final battle with Omega in Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow , which Christopher McQuarrie co-wrote. However, the comments McQuarrie shared with Collider are understandable. When those sequences were done, he and Cruise were (figuratively and literally) dipping their toes into the water. In short, they didn’t have as much knowledge about it from a production standpoint, apparently. 

These sentiments give the impression that the Way of the Gun helmer and his colleagues are wiser now, though, and that bodes well for whatever they have planned for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two . Anyone who’s seen Part One would probably agree that it makes sense for a water-based scene to take place in the upcoming sequel. The latest installment saw Ethan Hunt and co. attempt to combat The Entity, an antagonistic and seemingly omnipresent A.I. system. By the end, Hunt learned the program can be destroyed (or controlled) through its source code. That early version is located in the sunken remains of the Sevastopol vessel, and Ethan and ally Benji Dunn are keen on finding it. So you can probably imagine that Hunt – and maybe a few others – will have to descend to the depths to reach the submarine. 

That’s an exciting prospect, as Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie truly know how to pull off world-class action sequences. Dead Reckoning Part One alone is sheer evidence of that fact. That motorcycle stunt, which they kicked off filming with , is nothing short of incredible as is the Fiat car chase. McQuarrie and actress Hayley Atwell even explained to CinemaBlend that the latter was a technical nightmare . Nevertheless, the cast and crew really seem to grab the bull by the horns and commit to the work. 

One would think that approach to production flowed into production on DR Part Two (which has currently halted amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes ). I’m excited to see what kind of water-centric sequence the actor and his lead cook up for their next M:I movie. Expect an over-the-top moment that shows they’ve learned from any past mistakes.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing in theaters, and look out for Part Two , which opens on June 28 as part of the 2024 movie schedule . If you’re interested you can also check out M:I: – Rogue Nation using a Paramount+ subscription and Edge of Tomorrow with a Max subscription .

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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Tom Cruise held his breath for HOW long for 'Mission: Impossible' underwater scenes?

You thought Tom Cruise couldn't possibly out-do his Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation A400 plane stunt, featuring Cruise literally hanging from the plane as it took off.  Even with the greatest safety precautions, it could have been perilous.

Well, the latest M:I 5 trailer goes deep, with an intense underwater scene. It's something the adrenalin junkie Cruise has always wanted to do. Cruise told USA TODAY that he worked extensively for the underwater scene shot without a cut, training to have underwater breath holds of 6 to 61/2 minutes. To put it in context, that's the entire Rolling Stones version of "Sympathy for the Devil." Watch portions in the new trailer below. Says Cruise: "It's something I have always wanted to do. (Director Christopher McQuarrie) and I have been thinking about it since working on ' Edge of Tomorrow .' I have done a lot of underwater sequences. But we wanted to create a suspense underwater sequence without cuts. So doing that sequence was really interesting. We're underwater and we're doing breath-holds of 6 to 61/2 minutes. So I was doing all my training with the other stuff (on-set). It was very taxing stuff."

Cruise worked extensively for weeks with Kirk Krack , performance underwater trainer, for the breath training to complete the scene. "When you're making ' Mission' movies you're working with athletes and stunt people at the height of their game," says Cruise. Rebecca Ferguson, who joins the franchise cast, went from novice stunt performer to pro onset. Her first day involved scaling the Vienna Opera House with Cruise.  She took part in the underwater scene. Says Ferguson: "When you are with Tom and the 'Mission' team, the best people are brought in to train you. So you are actually capable of managing everything. It's incredible to know you have the ability to do these things."

'Mission: Impossible 8's Underwater Scenes Will Fix This 'Rogue Nation' Problem

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• Director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise wanted to improve upon their previous underwater sequences, and in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two, they applied the knowledge they gained from those experiences.
• Dead Reckoning Part Two will feature ambitious action sequences, including an aerial sequence to rival those in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Top Gun: Maverick.
• Tom Cruise was able to hold his breath for as long as 6.5 minutes for the underwater scenes in Dead Reckoning, but McQuarrie does not recommend it due to its physical toll.

Before Christopher McQuarrie came along, the Mission: Impossible movies were known as a franchise in which each installment brought a vision from a different director. With Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation , however, the film series started to become less standalone-y, which begged for a filmmaker who could plan ahead for the long run. For McQuarrie, that also meant he could spend several years thinking about how he could raise the stakes in the action sequences of each entry—and that includes the underwater stunts that we'll only see in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two .

In an interview with Collider, the director and screenwriter talked to Steve Weintraub about how he and actor/producer Tom Cruise approached the underwater world that will be unveiled next year. In Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One we got a taste of it with a tense opening submarine sequence, but it seems that it will get even more intense. Christopher McQuarrie explained that it’s common knowledge in Hollywood that you should stay away from water because it makes production considerably harder, but they went for it anyway:

“Tom and I are constantly reevaluating our own work and asking ourselves how we could have done it better. We've done underwater sequences previously. We've worked underwater in Edge of Tomorrow, and we worked underwater in Rogue Nation, and we left very dissatisfied with those sequences. And we analyze why we were dissatisfied. What were all the factors working against us? The biggest being, not having real knowledge in that area. Everything you're looking at in Dead Reckoning is the application of knowledge from previous sequences.”

RELATED: 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Reactions Call It "Ambitious," "Exhilarating," and "Mind-Blowing"

As Expected, Dead Reckoning Part Two Will Have More Ambitious Action Sequences

McQuarrie also added that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two will feature an aerial sequence to rival the stunts they pulled in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and even Top Gun: Maverick . For the underwater scenes in Dead Reckoning , the director revealed that Cruise was able to hold his breath for as much as 6.5 minutes, but that he’d “never ask him to do it again.” According to McQuarrie, holding your breath for so long is “ physically punishing ,” and he does not “recommend it to anybody who doesn't want to make a lifestyle out of it.”

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the beginning of what might be the final run of special agent Ethan Hunt — even though Cruise suggests he'd like to keep going. Returning cast members include Rebecca Ferguson , Vanessa Kirby , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , and Henry Czerny . The cast also features Pom Klementieff ( Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 ), Indira Varma ( Obi-Wan Kenobi ), Hayley Atwell ( Marvel’s Agent Carter ), Cary Elwes ( BlackBerry ), Shea Wingham ( Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ) and Esai Morales ( Titans ).

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now in theaters. You can watch our conversation with Tom Cruise below:

• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
• Christopher McQuarrie

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Kate Winslet broke Tom Cruise's underwater filming record on Avatar 2 set without realizing it

Does Kate Winslet get to join the Impossible Mission Force now?

We've known for a while now that the actress held her breath for more than seven minutes while shooting underwater scenes for Avatar 2 . But Winslet didn't realize — nor did anyone else until recently, apparently — that this means she held her breath longer than Tom Cruise on the set of Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation , previously considered the record for underwater breath-holding on screen .

Cruise trained extensively to hold his breath for six and a half minutes to film an underwater stunt for the blockbuster, which means Winslet bested him by about 45 seconds. However, the Titanic actress was unaware that this feat had become public until a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight .

"It's so funny because I don't really read reviews or media things. I'm not on Instagram, like I'm just completely disconnected from that part of my life," Winslet said. "So all of this week and the week before, I've had people coming up to me at work saying, 'Oh my God, like seven minutes and 14 seconds? Like, what?!' And I'm going, 'What? Hang on, wait a minute. How do you know that?'"

"It was brilliant and I was very proud of myself and I'll probably never be able to do it again," she added. "That came at the end of four weeks worth of quite intense training and it was in the dive tank, it was in the training tank. But I loved it."

Winslet had previously revealed the seven-minute stat in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , noting, "I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar , and that was just incredible. My longest breath hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff."

The actress can currently be seen alongside Saoirse Ronan in the Oscar contender Ammonite , now playing in select theaters. “Everything comes from an extremely steady, still place,” Winslet told EW of her character, Mary, in the romantic drama. “I had to focus a lot on that because movement and expression for Mary is used as communication. I had to be very careful about when those moments would be. We have to really choose when she would smile. She doesn’t smile that often. When she does, it’s an important vocal moment that comes from that expression of joy.”

Avatar 2 , which recently "100 percent" completed filming , is currently scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 16, 2022. However, as we've learned repeatedly, that date is very much subject to change.

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• Christopher McQuarrie teases an upcoming underwater sequence in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two that will surpass previous underwater action scenes in Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
• Previous underwater sequences left Tom Cruise and McQuarrie feeling "dissatisfied" and like they could do better.
• The only other stunt that has been revealed from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two so far is Cruise hanging off of an upside down airplane.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two director Christopher McQuarrie teases an underwater sequence in the upcoming film that improves on the two big underwater set pieces that Tom Cruise has already done. Following the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One earlier this month, Tom Cruise is next set to return as superspy Ethan Hunt in a follow-up film due out next summer. The upcoming eighth film in the long-running franchise is expected to continue the story of the most recent sequel, following Hunt as he works to take down the AI threat known as The Entity.

Now, far ahead of the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two release date , McQuarrie teases at least one of the action set pieces that audiences can expect in a recent interview with Collider . The director reveals that the upcoming sequence will improve on the underwater action seen in Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation . Check out McQuarrie's full comment below:

“Tom and I are constantly reevaluating our own work and asking ourselves how we could have done it better. We've done underwater sequences previously. We've worked underwater in Edge of Tomorrow, and we worked underwater in Rogue Nation, and we left very dissatisfied with those sequences. And we analyze why we were dissatisfied. What were all the factors working against us? The biggest being, not having real knowledge in that area. Everything you're looking at in Dead Reckoning is the application of knowledge from previous sequences.”

What To Expect From Dead Reckoning Part Two's Stunts

The approach that Cruise and McQuarrie take with each new Mission: Impossible movie is to outdo everything they've done before, which is very especially apparent with the jaw-dropping motorcycle cliff jump and train sequence in Mission: Impossible 7 . The upcoming eighth movie is expected to push the envelope even further, featuring Cruise's most dangerous stunts yet.

While many questions remain about the upcoming film, set photos have revealed at least one Cruise stunt that will seemingly be in the film, with the star shown clutching to the outside of a biplane over South Africa. Outside of Mission: Impossible 8 's plane stunt and the newly-revealed water sequence however, specifics regarding the stunts in the upcoming film are hard to come by.

Filming on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two has been partially completed, and the production has been confirmed to have shot aboard an aircraft carrier in the Adriatic Sea and in an Arctic location as well. While it's unclear what stunts Cruise may have filmed in these locations, the next installment is, at the very least, shaping up to have some breathtaking vistas to accompany the action. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike could prevent Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two filming from resuming as planned this fall, but the sequel is already sounding like quite the experience.

Source: Collider

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Kate Winslet ‘Very Proud’ to Beat Tom Cruise’s Underwater Filming Record with ‘Avatar 2’

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Kate Winslet told Entertainment Tonight this week she’s “very proud” to have beaten Tom Cruise ‘s record for the longest underwater breath hold in a feature film. Tom Cruise held his breath underwater for six minutes while filming “ Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” but Winslet beat him by over a minute, holding her breath for seven minutes and 14 seconds while filming an underwater scene for James Cameron’s “ Avatar 2 .”

“It was brilliant and I was very proud of myself and I’ll probably never be able to do it again,” Winslet said. “That came at the end of four weeks worth of quite intense training and it was in the dive tank, it was in the training tank. But I loved it.”

Winslet’s “Avatar 2” co-star Sigourney Weaver revealed earlier this year the “Avatar” cast trained with elite military divers in order to maximize the amount of time they could hold their breath underwater. Cast members wore weights around their waists during filming to keep them submerged underwater. Cameron filmed a majority of “Avatar 2” in giant water takes, and the longer the cast could hold their breath without returning to the surface for oxygen meant less interruptions in filming.

Winslet’s record-breaking breath hold has been circulating the internet for quite awhile, but she had no idea until her press tour for her new film ‘Ammonite’ started. As the Oscar winner said, “It’s so funny because I don’t really read reviews or media things. I’m not on Instagram, like I’m just completely disconnected from that part of my life. So all of this week and the week before, I’ve had people coming up to me at work saying, ‘Oh my God, like seven minutes and 14 seconds? Like, what?!” And I’m going, ‘What? Hang on, wait a minute. How do you know that?'”

Winslet held her breath for over seven minutes, but Weaver was no slouch either. The “Alien” favorite managed to hold her breath for six minutes while filming “Avatar 2.” Cameron’s sequel is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 16, 2022. “Avatar 3” will follow with a theatrical release on December 20, 2024. The fourth and fifth films are due in 2026 and 2028.

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12 of tom cruise’s most jaw-dropping stunts.

From scaling a skyscraper to hanging on to the outside of an airplane as it takes off, here are some of the actor's most death-defying stunts.

By Carly Thomas

Carly Thomas

Associate Editor

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Tom Cruise has never steered away from challenging himself in his roles for projects. Especially since 1986’s  Top Gun , he has continued to push the limits of his body and acting, taking on his own stunts in most of his top films, including Mission: Impossible ,  The Last Samurai  and  Jack Reacher .

Most recently, Cruise took on several death-defying stunts in  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , including speed-flying down a mountainside as well as driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety.

The actor has previously said during an appearance on  The Graham Norton Show  that he has been “doing different stunts” since he was a child and that once he got into acting, he wanted to keep doing it to help with the “storytelling.”

“I feel that [when] acting you’re bringing everything, you know, physically and emotionally, to a character in a story,” he explained at the time. “And I’m able to do it [stunts], and I’ve trained for 30 years doing things like this that it allows us to put cameras in places where you normally are not able to.”

More recently, during a  conversation at Cannes  in 2022, Cruise reiterated that he enjoys performing his own stunts despite the danger, only this time he referenced one of the best athletes of Hollywood’s golden era.

“No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’” the actor said. “Why do you do your own dancing?’”

Below, The Hollywood Reporter has compiled a list of some of Cruise’s wildest stunts, some downright death-defying, throughout his decades-long career.

'Mission: Impossible' (Aquarium Scene)

In the first installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise in 1996, Cruise reportedly never swapped out for a stuntman in one particular scene involving an aquarium. In the sequence, Ethan Hunt, who would become one of Cruise’s most well-known characters, intentionally blows up a giant aquarium that stretches the length from the floor to the ceiling to help get away quickly. The explosive was so powerful that another person was sent flying through a glass panel, while Cruise went running with 16 gallons of water following right behind him.

'Mission: Impossible II' (Rock Climbing Scene)

In 2000’s Mission: Impossible II , Cruise showed no signs of plans to stop testing his limits. In the opening scene of the John Woo-directed film, the actor can be seen climbing and hanging off giant rocks on the side of a cliff. During filming, Cruise reportedly had only a safety cable to help soften any impact, which led to Woo actively sweating throughout the entire sequence because of how dangerous it was.

'Top Gun' (Parachute Scene)

In 1986’s  Top Gun , Cruise began seeking the thrill of doing his own stunts. But the scene when Maverick (Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) are ejected from the jet and parachute into the water (leading to his co-pilot’s death) nearly didn’t go as planned. Top Gun ‘s Barry Tubb told the  New York Post  on the film’s 25th anniversary that “Cruise came as close to dying as anybody on a set I’ve ever seen.” During filming, when Cruise was lifting up Goose’s body from the ocean, Cruise actually began to sink due to water building up in his parachute. According to Tubb, Cruise would have drowned if it was not caught early enough to get him out.

At the time of filming Top Gun , it was also reported that a veteran fighter pilot  died while shooting aerial footage for the movie.

'The Last Samurai' (Samurai Sword Scene)

In 2003’s  The Last Samurai , Cruise once again nearly avoided a tragic accident while doing his own stunts. While filming a fight sequence between Nathan Algren (Cruise) and Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada), the two were riding on what were actually mechanical horses, in which one was supposed to stop moving before Sanada takes a swing at Cruise with a real samurai sword. But the horse didn’t stop, and Cruise reportedly came within an inch of the sword before Sanada was able to pull back, avoiding contact with Cruise.

“Tom’s neck was right in front of me, and I tried to stop swinging my sword, but it was hard to control with one hand,” Sanada previously told the  Daily Mail .  “The film crew watching from the side all screamed because they thought Tom’s head would fly off.”

'Collateral' (Car Crash Scene)

At this point, on-set accidents are nothing new to Cruise, and the same goes for an incident while filming an action scene with Jamie Foxx for 2004’s  Collateral . During an interview at the time , Foxx thought he nearly killed his co-star when he smashed into Cruise’s Mercedes-Benz during a chase sequence. “I hit the gas, the cab goes straight head on into [Cruise’s] Mercedes, and the Mercedes lifts off the ground and goes off the set,” he explained. Cruise added that although he was OK, he was tossed around the car. “I was hitting the roof,” he said. “I was down on the ground.”

'Edge of Tomorrow' (Another Car Crash Scene)

While filming 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow , Emily Blunt confirmed to Conan O’Brien on  Conan at the time that Cruise “really does everything and wants to do everything” when it comes to doing stunts. But she revealed that during one scene, his luck was tested once again. The actress said in one action sequence when she was driving and Cruise was in the passenger seat, the stunt coordinator tasked her with driving really fast down a road and then taking a sharp turn. She noted that the first take went well, but during the second, she took a turn too late and “drove us into a tree and I almost killed Tom Cruise.” Thankfully, Cruise was OK, and Blunt added that he was actually laughing afterward.

'Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol' (Scaling a Skyscraper Scene)

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol director Brad Bird said watching Cruise take on death-defying stunts is “just another day at work” for the film’s crewmembers. Specifically for the 2011 movie, the actor scaled Dubai’s 163-floor Burj Khalifa. In behind-the-scenes footage, Cruise can be seen climbing, swinging and running up and down the building, with only a wire keeping him from falling.

'Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation' (Plane Scene)

In 2015’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , Cruise decided to take his intense stunts to the sky. In the film, the actor can be seen dangling on the outside of an Airbus 400 as it takes off. Robert Elswit, director of photography, told The Hollywood Reporter  at the time what went into making the stunt a reality while keeping Cruise safe.

“Tom was in a full body harness and he’s cabled and wired to the plane through [its] door. Inside the aircraft was an aluminum truss that was carefully bolted to the plane, which held the wires that went through the door, which held Tom,” the cinematographer said of the safety measures. “He was also wearing special contact lenses to protect his eyes. If anything hit him at those speeds, it could be really bad. They were very careful about cleaning the runway so there were no rocks. And we took off in certain weather conditions; there were no birds. And he’s sort of protected by the way the air moves over the wing.”

'Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation' (Underwater Breathing Scene)

In the Christopher McQuarrie-directed film, Cruise went from doing stunts in the sky to doing them underwater. For the said sequence in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation , the actor actually had to undergo training to be able to hold his breath underwater for six minutes. For comparison, professional divers hold their breath for anywhere between four and seven minutes,  according to the American Physiological Society , but even that can be very dangerous and could cause brain damage. Although Cruise scared crewmembers a few times by testing his limits underwater, in the end, he successfully completed the mission.

“It’s something I have always wanted to do,” Cruise said during an interview with USA Today at the time. “We’re underwater and we’re doing breath-holds of 6 to 6-1/2 minutes. So I was doing all my training with the other stuff (on-set). It was very taxing stuff.”

'Mission: Impossible – Fallout' (Building Jump Scene)

While filming a building jump scene in 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout , Cruise actually got hurt, which shut down production for six weeks while he recovered. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show , the actor not only detailed exactly what went wrong but shared a video of the moment he broke his ankle during the stunt.

In the scene, while attached to two safety wires, Cruise’s character is meant to jump from one high-rise to another when chasing Henry Cavill’s character. Although he was meant to miss the landing and hit the side of the wall, his foot actually slipped and bent upwards on impact. The actor noted that he “knew instantly it was broken.” Cruise also revealed that his ankle was still healing while he was on the press tour for the film.

‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One’ (Speed-Flying Scene)

In the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise shows that he has no plans to stop doing death-defying stunts anytime soon. For Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One , the actor learned how to do what director Christopher McQuarrie called “one of the most dangerous sports in the world.” Speed-flying, which is similar to paragliding, combines elements of parachute swooping to allow people to fly at high speeds down mountainsides while maintaining close to the slope. And Cruise did just that for one of the scenes in the latest installment of the action franchise. McQuarrie even noted that when Cruise was “flying very close to rocks,” the filming crew was in “absolute terror” behind the cameras. 

‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One’ (Motorbiking Off a Cliff Scene)

For Mission: Impossible 7 , Tom Cruise said he got to do a stunt that he had wanted to do “since I was a little kid.” And that stunt was riding a motorbike off a cliff and parachuting down to safety. Director Christopher McQuarrie explained that there were many elements needed to actually make it happen, as well as years of different types of training. Once Cruise felt like he was comfortable with each aspect of the stunt, that’s when the crew built the film’s final ramp on a cliff in Norway. A crewmember added that Cruise did a total of six takes of one of the “biggest stunts in cinema history.” 

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Tom Cruise Held His Breath Under Water For Over 6 Minutes to Film a Single Take ‘Mission: Impossible’ Scene

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By now, you’ve probably seen or heard about the crazy scene in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation where Tom Cruise actually hung outside of a cargo plane as it took off, dangling from the door as it ascended into the sky. It’s pretty nuts, but if you think that’s all that Rogue Nation has to offer, wait until you hear this. Tom Cruise filmed an underwater scene for the movie, where he had to hold his breath for over six minutes...because it’s all one single take.

We spoke recently about how the long take may have died a slow death as audiences became used to the gimmick and, with CGI, it became largely unimpressive. How do you make the long take impressive again? You get your A-list actor to hold his breath underwater throughout the entire thing.

Cruise, no stranger to doing his own stunts, spoke to USA Today about the insane sequence:

We wanted to create a suspense underwater sequence without cuts. So doing that sequence was really interesting. We’re underwater and we’re doing breath-holds of 6 to 61/2 minutes. So I was doing all my training with the other stuff (on-set). It was very taxing stuff.

It’s one thing to worry about messing up a long take because you flub your line, but to worry about messing it up because you’re running out of oxygen and slowly dying? That's pretty crazy, even by Tom Cruise standards. Director Christopher McQuarrie told Yahoo! he decided on this sequence because he wanted to leave his mark on the franchise.

I asked myself, ‘What can I do to celebrate all those elements of the franchise?’ A signature sequence the way (Brian) De Palma did, a villain the way J.J. Abrams did, the stunts the way Brad [Bird] did.

Cruise trained with professional freediver Kirk Krack on his breath training, while on set. And, if 6 minutes doesn’t seem like that long, listen to “Bohemian Rhapsody” and try to hold your breath throughout the entire thing.

Not so easy, right?

It’s not the first time Tom Cruise has insisted on holding his breath throughout a scene. He told Steven Spielberg he wanted to control his breathing while submerged in a bathtub in this Minority Report scene to get the bubble effect without the use of CGI trickery.

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation opens in theaters on July 31.

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Tom cruise held his breath for 6 minutes in this crazy underwater stunt in the new 'mission: impossible'.

(YouTube/Paramount/) Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation."

Since Tom Cruise started the "Mission: Impossible" movie franchise 19 years ago, his reputation as an actor who wants to do his own stunts has become legendary. Each new film for "M:I" seems to bring new spectacular stunts, with Cruise himself doing the heavy lifting.

You probably thought Cruise couldn’t top climbing the tallest building in the world in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" in 2011, but you’d be wrong.

(Paramount) Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol."

"Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" doesn't hit theaters until Friday, but you've probably already caught a glimpse of Cruise's latest stunt in which he hangs on the side of a massive airplane as it takes off.

And yes, that’s really the actor — not a stunt double.

But according to the film’s stunt coordinator, Wade Eastwood , that wasn’t the stunt he was most concerned about Cruise taking on himself.

At a key moment in the movie, Cruise, playing IMF agent Ethan Hunt, has to dive into an underwater safe to retrieve the computer chip that will lead him closer to the film’s villain. Along with having to hold his breath the whole time, he must keep away from a large crane that’s circling around the safe.

The stunt first required Cruise to jump off a 120-foot ledge (the bottom was all CGI, but he really did the jump).

Then, in an underwater set that was filled 20 feet high with water, Cruise had to hold his breath as he acted out the scene.

“It’s all Tom,” Eastwood told Business Insider. “There’s no time you don’t see Ethan in the film and it’s not Tom.”

Eastwood (no relation to Clint) had worked previously with Cruise on “ Edge of Tomorrow, ” so he was aware of Cruise’s obsession with authenticity when it comes to stunt work. But he still marvels over Cruise’s physical ability.

“It’s been said in other interviews, if he wasn’t an actor he would have been a great stunt man,” said Eastwood. “The difference between Tom and a stunt man is he acts the character after hearing ‘action.’ A stunt person just does the stunt to double the character.”

And that is the aspect that made Eastwood’s job to pull off the underwater scene the most challenging.

Though they had cameras all over the set monitoring the star as he was underwater, and stunt crews at the ready to jump into action if anything went wrong, Eastwood said Cruise still had to act in the scene. This meant it needed to look like he was losing breath and becoming unconscious.

(David James)

“On two or three occasions I brought him up because I felt he was down for too long,” said Eastwood. “He was like, ‘What are you doing? I was right in the moment. I’m acting.’ And I was like, ‘I know, it was just too real for me and I wasn’t comfortable.’”

Eastwood said the longest Cruise was underwater for a take was over six minutes.

Eastwood recalls Cruise telling him one time after having the actor come up for air, “I got plenty of breath, trust me. I don’t want to die.”

The scene took two weeks to shoot, according to Eastwood. But training for it started two months before production began.

To prepare Cruise for an underwater scene in which he’d be holding his breath for over six minutes, Eastwood brought in a freediving record holder to teach the actor breathing exercises. Basically, as Eastwood explains, teaching your mind “that you don’t have to take a breath.”

Eastwood said Cruise blacked out a few times during the training.

“That’s how you learn your limits,” Eastwood said.

That was another concern of Eastwood’s — what if Cruise got too into character?

“It’s a very calming and surreal state being underwater, especially when you’re holding your breath for that long,” he said. “You’ve gone through training to let your mind to that place where you can control it. It’s dangerous because you get carried away in the acting and you get in such a euphoric and relaxed state being in character that you forget what you’re doing. That was my worry.”

Thankfully, Cruise kept his head together and pulled off a scene that’s agonizingly claustrophobic yet remarkable to watch.

And that’s after seeing him hang from a moving plane.

NOW WATCH: This 'Mission Impossible' behind-the-scenes footage of a 53-year-old Tom Cruise hanging off a plane is terrifying

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Avatar 2: Kate Winslet is 'very proud' of breaking Tom Cruise's underwater record

Beating Cruise's record from Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Winslet held her breath underwater for seven minutes while filming an Avatar 2 water scene.

Kate Winslet shoots her underwater scenes for Avatar 2.

When filming underwater scenes, sometimes actors and stunt people are required to hold their breath for longer than usual. In the case of director James Cameron's upcoming Avatar 2 movie , many of the scenes seem to take place in the water .

Actor  Kate Winslet , who plays what is described as a "water person" in the movie, held her breath for an impressive seven minutes and 14 seconds. She topped the record of actor Tom Cruise , who held his breath for six minutes while filming an underwater stunt for the 2015 movie Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation .

"It was brilliant and I was very proud of myself and I'll probably never be able to do it again,"  Winslet told Entertainment Tonight on Nov. 10. "That came at the end of four weeks worth of quite intense training and it was in the dive tank, it was in the training tank. But I loved it. We're very, very lucky as actors that often we have to learn a whole new skill."

On Oct. 26, Avatar producer Jon Landau posted an image of Winslet filming an underwater scene in one of the movie's massive set . He also included a quote from Winslet  from a recent interview  of her talking about holding her breath underwater.

"I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar, and that was just incredible," Landau quoted Winslet saying in her interview. "My longest breath-hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff. I play a water person. I am a water person."

More Avatar

• Avatar 2: See Kate Winslet as a 'water person' shooting underwater scenes
• Avatar 2 image reveals new character heading to Pandora
• James Cameron confirms Avatar 2 and 3 live action almost complete

Avatar 2 will see the return of Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, plus Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi and Sigourney Weaver . 

Previously, fans have been treated to Avatar 2  set pictures  and  concept art  on social media, including  views from the elaborate set . 

The  live-action shooting of Avatar 2 and 3  in New Zealand is almost finished, but  coronavirus -related delays now have Avatar 2's release date on Dec. 16, 2022. Avatar 3's release date is Dec. 20, 2024.

Originally published on Nov. 1, 2020.

New Movies Coming in 2023 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More

Kate Winslet broke Tom Cruise's underwater record by one minute while filming 'Avatar 2:' 'I'm sure he's getting very fed up of hearing this story'

• Kate Winslet spoke to USA Today about her role in "Avatar: The Way of the Water."
• Winslet held her breath underwater for seven minutes, beating a record previously held by Tom Cruise. 
• "Avatar: The Way of the Water" hit theaters on Friday.

Kate Winslet held her breath underwater for more than seven minutes in " Avatar: The Way of the Water ," breaking a record previously held by Tom Cruise. 

Winslet shared details with  USA Today as James Cameron's  " Avatar " sequel hit theaters on Friday. Winslet  stars alongside Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Weaver, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Sigourney Weaver, and more in "Avatar: The Way of the Water." 

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Winslet told the outlet she trained and learned how to free dive ahead of the film, which allowed her to remain underwater for seven minutes and 14 seconds. 

Her time officially broke a record set by Cruise, who held his breath underwater for six minutes while filming "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" in 2015. 

"Poor Tom," the actress told USA Today. "I mean, I don't know Tom at all – I've never met him in my life – but I'm sure he's getting very fed up of hearing this story of how I broke his record. I loved it, though. ... I was amazed how good I was at it and how I just kept getting better."

In the same interview, Weaver – who appeared in both "Avatar" films – added that she held her breath for six minutes and 30 seconds. 

"We were delighted for Kate that she did that," Weaver said. "My husband (theater director Jim Simpson) and I both did 6 ½ minutes, which was astonishing to us and our teacher, Kirk Krack, who teaches the Navy SEALs. Everyone had a personal best."

A post shared by Avatar 2 ~ The Way of Water (@avatar2officialmovie)

In December, Cameron told  ComicBook.com that the special effects in "Avatar 2" were better than Marvel films . 

"Industrial Light & Magic does great work, but when it comes to the kind of emotive facial stuff that we're doing… Thanos? Come on. Give me a break. You saw this movie. It's not even close. It's what Weta did," he told the outlet. 

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12 Things You Might Not Know About Tom Cruise

By jake rossen | may 28, 2024.

Defining movie star is somewhat subjective. If it’s a combination of charisma, audience interest, and box office success, then one of the few performers that continue to meet the definition is Tom Cruise. The actor, who has been on screens for over 40 years, regularly makes movies that are considered appointment viewing in theaters even in the era of streaming. His Mission: Impossible series alone has brought in over $1.3 billion domestically.

Part of Cruise’s appeal is his enigmatic public persona. He rarely lets his guard down, preferring to let his work speak for him. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty to know about his life and career.

Tom Cruise started doing stunts early on.

He was a pretty good high school wrestler., cruise auditioned for risky business with a chipped tooth., he didn’t love cocktail ., cruise directed an episode of television., cruise took heat for two adaptations., cruise could have been in the shawshank redemption ., cruise was involved in one of the longest film shoots of all time., he has a cousin who is also an actor., cruise rescued multiple people from maritime disaster., he asked to be included in a photo with some famous directors., cruise gifts colleagues with hundreds of holiday cakes..

Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, Cruise seemed to be drawn to physical activity and danger from an early age. In 2022, the actor recalled that when he was around 4 years old, he thought it would be a good idea to jump off the roof of his childhood home while using a sheet as a parachute. "It’s that moment when you jump off the roof and you go, ‘This is not gonna work,’” he said. “’This is terrible. I’m gonna die.’ And I hit the ground so hard. Luckily, it was wet … And I saw stars in the daytime for the first time, and I remember looking up, going, ‘This is very interesting.’”

Cruise’s mother, Mary, separated from his father, Tom Senior, in 1976, when Cruise was 14. (The actor would later allege that Senior had been abusive toward him.) The family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and Cruise also spent some time in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he briefly considered becoming a Franciscan priest. Eventually, he rejoined his family and they settled in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, where he joined the varsity high school wrestling team as a junior and senior. During the 1979-1980 year, the team went 14-4-1.

The wrestling may have indirectly played a role in his career choice. After a leg injury prevented him from continuing, he decided to investigate acting and signed up for a role in a school production of Guys and Dolls . “All of a sudden, I felt like I knew what I was doing,” he said in 1983. “And I got all this attention, and it just felt right. So I came to New York. I wanted to try [acting].”

In 1981, Cruise appeared in a small role in Endless Love and as a military cadet in Taps . Two years later, he appeared in the teen sex comedy Losin’ It and the football drama All the Right Moves . Cruise also scored a role as a street punk in The Outsiders . It was during filming of The Outsiders that Cruise auditioned for Risky Business , which cast him as a preppy kid who runs amok when his parents leave town. “I told them, ‘I can't afford to tamper with my Outsiders character because I have to work tonight,’” he said in 1983. “’I can't take a shower, even.’ I was all greasy, had a chipped tooth and a tattoo, and an Okie drawl. And they cast me for this clean-cut boy.”

Risky Business was considered Cruise's true breakout role. It also made Cruise synonymous with Ray-Ban sunglasses, which he later wore to great effect in 1986’s Top Gun .

The mid- to late-1980s was a period where Cruise was able to demonstrate his dramatic chops with prestige directors in films like 1985's Legend (Ridley Scott), 1986’s The Color of Money (Martin Scorsese), 1988’s Rain Man (Barry Levinson), and 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July (Oliver Stone). In the middle of this impressive run came Cocktail (1988), a relatively lightweight drama about a bartender who relocates to Jamaica. It was “not a crowning jewel,” he told Rolling Stone in 1992. The film earned a Golden Raspberry Award, or “Razzie,” for Worst Picture, the same year that Rain Man won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Given his collaborative nature and intense interest in filmmaking, it’s somewhat surprising Cruise has yet to helm a feature film. But he has gotten behind the camera. In 1993, Cruise directed an episode of the Showtime series Fallen Angels , an anthology set largely in 1940s and 1950s Los Angeles. In the episode, titled “The Frightening Frammis,” a con man (Peter Gallagher) has the misfortune to cross paths with a femme fatale named Babe (Isabella Rosellini). The series was produced by Sydney Pollack, who had just directed Cruise in the 1993 film The Firm .

When Cruise was cast as the vampire Lestat in 1994’s Interview With the Vampire , the book’s author, Anne Rice, was a vocal critic, saying she preferred someone like Daniel Day-Lewis for the role. After seeing Cruise in the part, Rice changed her mind, calling him “wonderful.” Cruise had a similar experience in 2012’s Jack Reacher , where fans of the Lee Child book series found him smaller in stature compared to Child’s towering protagonist. The film did well, however, meriting  a 2016 sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back .

The list of movies Cruise has been offered (or at least had discussions about doing) is long, and the list of movies he’s turned down is likely even longer. Among them: Footloose , Edward Scissorhands , and The Shawshank Redemption . Director and writer Frank Darabont, who adapted the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption for the screen in 1994, said that producer Rob Reiner offered to acquire the script so he could direct and his A Few Good Men star Cruise could step into the role of Andy Dufresne. Darabont was tempted, but ultimately decided to make the movie himself. He cast Tim Robbins as Dufresne.

Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman agreed to star in director Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut , which examines the complicated marriage of a young couple tempted by forces outside their union. Kubrick ( 2001: A Space Odyssey ), a notorious perfectionist, shot the film for an astounding 15 months, far beyond the typical four- to six-month shoot of many films. Guinness World Records recognizes it as the longest continuous production in cinema history. (Interrupted shoots are a different story: Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age drama Boyhood shot for 39 days over a window spanning from 2002 to 2013.)

Eyes Wide Shut was met with a tepid reception, though it proved bountiful for Cruise. While on set, he met with director Paul Thomas Anderson, who cast him as a motivational speaker in 1999’s Magnolia . That part earned Cruise an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He had previously been nominated for Born on the Fourth of July and for Jerry Maguire (1996), though he has yet to win.

Cruise wasn’t the only member of his family to get into acting. His fraternal cousin, William Mapother, is also in the business and has shared several of Cruise’s film sets. Mapother was a production assistant before getting parts in Magnolia (1999) and in 2002’s Minority Report , playing a desk clerk who is threatened by Cruise’s distressed protagonist. Mapother might be best known as Ethan Rom, a character of dubious intentions on ABC’s drama Lost .

In 1996, Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman were aboard a yacht near Capri, Italy, when they came upon a family floating in a lifeboat whose own yacht had caught on fire. They climbed aboard Cruise’s vessel until the Coast Guard arrived.

A decade prior, it was Cruise himself who needed a hand. While filming Top Gun , he was dragged underwater by parachute lines. According to United Press International, Navy swim school instructors rushed to pull him out.

Shooting The Last Samurai with Cruise in 2003, director Ed Zwick was surprised to see several A-list directors dropping by the set to see Cruise. When the actor learned that David Fincher ( Fight Club ), Cameron Crowe (who directed Cruise in Jerry Maguire ), and others posed for a group photo with Zwick while he was busy, he asked that he be retroactively placed in the image.

To work with Tom Cruise is to risk being sent a cake every holiday for the rest of your life. (Or his.) Each year, the actor orders white chocolate coconut Bundt cakes from Doan’s Bakery in Los Angeles and has them sent to a list of recipients, including former co-stars. According to former talk show host James Corden, Cruise himself has never tried the cake. (Other stories, however, have him tasting it as part of a “cake-off” while Cruise’s then-wife Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton were making a film together in 2008. The cake was reportedly Keaton’s favorite.)

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Tom Cruise Is Facing 'the Most Stress' in His Career Ahead of 'Mission: Impossible 8' Release

In Hollywood, one minute you are up, and the next minute you are down. That's what Tom Cruise is facing right now as he's at a crossroads in his storied career. In the summer of 2022, he was riding the wave of Top Gun: Maverick ‘s success at the box office, but last summer, fans stayed away in droves from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One .

Now, Mission: Impossible 8 is reportedly facing more delays after an over $29 million submarine set piece malfunctioned, according to the Mirror . "They're not happy as it puts production behind, which costs a lot of money per day," an on-set insider shared. The May 2025 release is likely in jeopardy because they won't be able to finish the film in time for the scheduled premiere. This setback puts "the weight of the world on [Cruise's] shoulders" because there are "hundreds of millions of dollars on the line," per an In Touch source.

The insider noted that tensions are high and that nobody wants to get on the 61-year-old actor's "bad side between now and next summer." They added, "Sure, he can still flash his famous ‘million-dollar smile' when the cameras are rolling but more frequently he's stone-faced and on edge as he tries to finally bring this production to a close." It's " the most stress and adversity he's ever faced on a production" which is saying a lot after filing the seventh installment of Mission: Impossible "at the height of the pandemic."

Fans will remember "Tom's infamous audio rant recording from that time showed the whole world how stressed he was." It showed a darker side to the star, who rarely lets his A-list image slip . "They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf-ers," he yelled in the clip in audio obtained by The Sun in 2020. "I don't ever want to see it again! Ever! If I see you do it again, you're f-ing gone."

Cruise knows he needs to deliver big time for the studios and theater owners in 2025 because the summer of 2024, so far, has been abysmal at the box office. Anyone who has worked with the Days of Thunder star knows that he aims for perfection. Miles Teller recalled to Page Six that while filming Top Gun: Maverick , Cruise would tell his fellow actors, "‘We're trying to hit a bullet with a bullet.'" Those are some pretty high expectations to live up to.

Before you go, click here for a look back at Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's 11-year marriage.

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Tom Cruise’s New ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movie Delayed Again After His Appearance Shocks Fans

The movie was already pushed to next year, but now a release date it uncertain amid huge production delays.

• The new Mission: Impossible movie has been delayed due to issues with a $29 million submarine, pushing back filming and increasing costs.
• Fans eagerly awaiting the latest installment starring Tom Cruise may have to wait longer, with the release date still uncertain.
• Concerns about Cruise's appearance have surfaced, with medical experts suggesting his saggy skin might be due to liposuction or simply aging.

Tom Cruise shocked fans earlier this month with his so-called saggy appearance, leading medical experts to chime in, but now his fan base is facing a new surprise – his latest Mission: Impossible has been delayed again.

These Tom Cruise Movies Have Grossed Over $100 Million At The Box Office

A broken submarine has delayed cruise’s new movie.

The Mirror reports that the eighth installment of Tom Cruise's blockbuster series has encountered further delays due to an issue with a £23 million ($29 million USD) submarine. According to insiders, the gimbal, which is responsible for lowering the 120-foot-high structure, became jammed under its weight and required repairs.

"They’re not happy as it puts production behind, which costs a lot of money per day," a source revealed, explaining the technical glitch has pushed the filming schedule back by several weeks and increased production costs.

Fans are eagerly anticipating the new movie, which will see Cruise reprise his famous role of secret agent Ethan Hunt. The film was initially slated for a summer release, but persistent delays have plagued the project. This includes last year's Hollywood writers' strike, which had already caused significant disruptions to the film's production schedule.

Initially planned for a summer release, the movie was subsequently postponed to May 2025. However, with these new complications, the exact release date remains uncertain.

The majority of the movie has been filmed in the UK, with a significant portion shot at Longcross Studios in Surrey. But some fans wonder if it’ll live up to the hype – and not only because of the production problems and release date delay. New images of Tom left the Internet shocked, as his usually toned physique didn’t live up to fan expectations.

Why Tom Shocked Fans With His Recent Appearance

The photos, which depict Cruise going shirtless, had some people accuse of him having saggy skin. Multiple medical experts chimed in , with some saying he appears to have plastic surgery, while others think his appearance is mostly the result of ageing. But they do agree that Tom looks good for being in his 60s.

Dr. David Hill, a plastic surgeon from Chicago, mentioned to the Daily Mail that Tom's loose skin around his midsection might be a result of undergoing liposuction.

“Usually, if you lose weight naturally over time, you get less of that skin rippling and irregularity, because it's gradual,” he claimed. “With liposuction, because it's more immediate, the skin doesn't have time to contract as much... so Tom's Cruise's saggy skin could be a hallmark of [liposuction].”

However, Dr Howard Sobel, a cosmetic dermatologic surgeon, told the publication he thinks Tom’s changing appearance is just due to age, explaining, “The areas of your chest, and the areas below your chest, the skin around your ribs and your abs are very often the first to lose the elasticity, especially in a man.”

Tom was recently accused of spending a small fortune on his looks , but given the recent reports of delays, it may be a while before fans get to see his face up-close on the big screen.