Tom Cruise on finally releasing ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ after COVID shutdown: ‘We dreamed about it’

Monday evening, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One held its New York premiere to crowds of maskless fans, with reporters crammed shoulder to shoulder on a long, winding red carpet.

It was a far cry from the social distancing requirements during the height of the pandemic when the seventh Mission Impossible the movie was rolling.

Tom Cruise’s leading man has faced multiple setbacks caused by COVID-19 during his multi-year filming. Filming was halted at least five times due to the pandemic, with Cruise and writer-director Christopher McQuarrie eventually contracting the disease, and audio of Cruise insisting the crew abide by COVID restrictions went viral .

So with the film finally set to hit theaters Wednesday, Cruise said The Hollywood Reporter On Monday night it was “incredible” that he and the team behind the film were able to overcome those challenges and share the film with audiences.

“We talked about it. We dreamed it. It’s very, very special,” Cruise said. “ON Best Gun: Maverick, they kept pushing the movie and pushing the movie, and for (McQuarrie) and I, this is such an ambitious film. And it was a very challenging film to produce, and then it all happened, and it was even more challenging. So to have that answer… it’s very, very special.”

Showdown is released after a string of summer tentpoles underperform at the box office, including The Flash, Elemental AND Indiana Jones.

The last one Mission Impossible the title was tracking in late June to launch with a franchise-best $65 million or more in North America, and theater chains are likely hoping it lives up to and even exceeds those expectations.

But Cruise, a vocal advocate for the big-screen experience, isn’t stressing about ticket sales just yet.

When asked if he felt pressure for his latest film to do well at the box office, he said thr, “I’m only going to make the best movies that I can make, and I want all of them to work well, and I want all other movies to work well.”

He added: “I think of a film in terms of quality and longevity, I invest everything in it. So really, my job is just to try and make the best movie I can to entertain the audience for that particular genre.

Cruise has already shared his enthusiasm for Indiana Jones, Barbie AND Oppenheimerboth opening the following week Showdownon July 21, saying he plans to see all those movies in theaters.