Tom Cruise has bagged a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’s most spectacular stunt.
The Final Reckoning looks to be the final instalment in the M:I franchise, and is currently wowing audiences in cinemas worldwide.
We gave the movie four stars in our Mission Impossible 8 review, and wrote that: “Cruise has raised the stakes for action, emotion, and impeccable storytelling, and no Mission: Impossible fan will walk away from the farewell feeling hard done by.”
The film features a lengthy underwater sequence (that’s probably a good time to go to the bathroom), before building towards an amazing airborne stunt that has secured the lead star a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.
Parachute stunt lands Tom Cruise a world record
Thanks to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise now holds the record for most burning parachute jumps by an individual. The actor leaped out of a helicopter 16 times while a chute doused in fuel was set on fire for the film.
The sequence in question was shot in Drakensberg, South Africa, with Cruise dropping from 7,5000 feet, then cutting himself free from the blazing parachute after 2-3 seconds, and deploying a backup to land safely. If that weren’t enough, he also frequently carried a 50-pound camera rig to capture the stunt up close.
Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said of the record: “Tom doesn’t just play action heroes – he is an action hero. A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do. It’s an honor to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.”
Behind-the-scenes footage of the fiery stunt can be viewed in the above featurette, with director Christopher McQuarrie overseeing proceedings, and Cruise stating that “We’re gonna be real smart. I’m not saying be risky” before adding with a laugh: “We don’t take risks… obviously.”
For more action, check out our ranking of the Mission: Impossible movies and why this Final Reckoning theory spoils the ending.
