CANNES, France (AP) 鈥� Three years after with 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥� Tom Cruise returned to the Croisette on Wednesday with 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Final Reckoning.鈥�
Christopher McQuarrie's latest 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� installment is the biggest Hollywood tentpole wading ashore in . And its sizable impact at the French Riviera festival prompted shouts of 鈥淭om! Tom!鈥� up and down the Croisette.
Just his arrival outside the premiere, beamed onto the screen in the Grand Th茅芒tre Lumi猫re drew a response. When Cruise stepped out his car, oohs and applause reverberated through the theater. Cruise spent several minutes signing autographs for fans lined up on the Croisette.
Some had wondered whether Crusie might make a more daring arrival. Instead, he and the film鈥檚 cast walked the red carpet accompanied by an orchestra performing the 鈥淢ission Impossible鈥� theme on the Palais steps. 鈥淏ravo!鈥� cheered Cruise.
Though selfies are frowned upon on the Cannes red carpet, McQuarrie took several of the group, including Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett and Hannah Waddingham.
Earlier in the day, Cruise joined McQuarrie midway through the director's masterclass talk. There was no press conference for the film, which meant Cruise and company faced no questions from reporters. But Cruise's surprise appearance allowed the 62-year-old star a moment to reflect on his 30 years with 鈥淢ission: Impossible.鈥� As to whether 鈥淔inal Reckoning鈥� is a last hurrah for him, he demurred, calling it 鈥渢he culmination of three decades of work.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檇 rather just people see it and enjoy,鈥� Cruise said.
Whether Cruise has any Cannes stunt up his sleeve this time was much anticipated at the festival. On Sunday, he climbed atop the roof of the British Film Institute in London. When Cruise received an honorary Palme d'Or from the festival in 2022, included an impressively timed jet flyover.
With McQuarrie, Cruise said he relishes the stunt work in 鈥淢ission: Impossible.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind encountering the unknown. I like the feeling. It鈥檚 just an emotion for me. It鈥檚 something that is not paralyzing,鈥� Cruise said.
Cruise, McQuarrie and Paramount Pictures, which will release 鈥淔inal Reckoning鈥� in North American theaters on May 23, are hoping the eighth 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� installment returns the franchise to box-office heights.
Their previous film, 鈥� was considered a box-office disappointment, though it ultimately grossed $571.1 million worldwide. Still, with production budgets close to $300 million for these films, a lot is riding on 鈥淔inal Reckoning.鈥� Cruise has been traversing the world 鈥� with stops in Japan, South Korea and England in the run-up to Cannes 鈥� to drum up excitement.
Cruise and McQuarrie, as they did around the release of 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� (which McQuarrie co-wrote and produced), have made themselves passionate pitchmen for the big-screen experience. McQuarrie on Wednesday granted: 鈥淚 worry for the fate and survival of cinema.鈥�
鈥淪treaming is in danger of driving the industry into extinction,鈥� said McQuarrie. 鈥淭he advantage a filmmaker has entering the world is that he doesn鈥檛 have the pressure of an opening weekend.鈥�
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For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit .
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
