Tom Cruise has been forced to press pause on the eighth Mission: Impossible film, according to reports. While the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes initially delayed production, the actor managed to pick up where he left off in March. But in a new development, a technical malfunction has caused further complications.
Per The Mirror, cast and crew were forced to take a step back from filming after a malfunction with a £23million submarine occurred. More specifically, the gimbal used to lower the structure had jammed, requiring ongoing repairs.
Currently, the eighth Mission: Impossible is set to premiere on May 23, 2025, however with production pushed back, it's unknown if the film will retain this release date.
In recent weeks, fans have spotted Tom, 61, in character as legendary operative, Ethan Hunt – specifically along the streets of Westminster, and at Trafalgar Square. The A-lister is yet to respond to reports of delays, however.
Set to pick up after the events of Dead Reckoning Part One, the upcoming instalment will follow Ethan and his team as they search for the Sevastopol submarine in a bid to destroy the Entity – an AI program gone rogue.
Appearing alongside Tom, fans are also awaiting the return of Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames and Pom Klementieff. With disavowed MI6 agent Ilsa Faust killed off in Part One, it's unclear if Rebecca Ferguson will resume her role in some capacity.
While details surrounding the film remain scarce, director Christopher McQuarrie has teased what's to come. Speaking to Collider, the 55-year-old noted that there will be an epic underwater sequence in Part Two. "Tom and I are constantly reevaluating our own work and asking ourselves how we could have done it better," the filmmaker began.
"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."
Additionally, Christopher revealed that there will be another jaw-dropping aerial scene to rival those of Mission: Impossible – Fallout and even Top Gun: Maverick.
Incredibly proud of the franchise, in 2023, Tom told HELLO! why it holds so much meaning for him.
Reflecting on his favorite memories from the franchise, the actor said: "I have so many that's very difficult. This is the first film [1996's Mission: Impossible] I ever produced. So to be here doing this decades later, you know, to be here in Leicester Square doing this premiere, it's very special.
"And also with them – to be able to look at this cast and know how hard they worked…we're very excited to be able to share it with audiences."