Tom Cruise has arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Middle East premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
The star landed on Sunday, on the first flight into the new Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The terminal is featured in the newest instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, with one of its major stunts filmed on its dune-shaped curved roof. The interior of the terminal will also be revealed to the public for the first time in the film.
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Cruise also unveiled the new livery on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner that features Mission: Impossible branding on its engines. The plane will carry the livery as it travels to destinations around the globe. Etihad is the official airline for the new film, which will be released in the UAE on July 9.
The Midfield Terminal has been decorated with Mission: Impossible branding to celebrate its starring role in the film. Several purpose-built sets were made for the film, including an Etihad First Class Lounge.
Some scenes, which required 21 days of preparation, were set in the Liwa Desert and filmed over the course of a week. They involved 762 cast, crew and suppliers.
The regional premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is scheduled to take place on Monday at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. Several of the film’s talents are expected to attend, including Cruise, along with director Christopher McQuarrie, and stars Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff.
Pegg shared his experience of flying with Etihad on Instagram on Sunday.
His reel featured the Mission: Impossible-branded in-flight menu and snaps of a special cupcake and bag of salted popcorn both carrying the film’s name.
The actor finished the post with a video of him being driven through Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is not the first film in the franchise to have been shot in the UAE.
In 2018, a high-altitude skydiving scene was shot in Abu Dhabi for Mission: Impossible – Fallout, with support from the UAE military, Abu Dhabi Film Commission and twofour54. Furthermore, key scenes in the 2011 film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol were filmed in Dubai, including the famous Burj Khalifa scene that features Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt climbing the exterior of the 828-metre structure.
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Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie on the set of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Abu Dhabi Film Commission -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, with Cruise at the opening ceremony of the Dubai International Film Festival in December 2011. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed and Cruise at the premiere together. Getty Images -
Cruise on the red carpet for the film, which was partly shot in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Cruise posed for pictures alongside waiting crowds. Photo: Abaca Press -
From left, actors Jeremy Renner, Cruise and Paula Patton join director Brad Bird at a press conference in Dubai, October 2010. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed showed Cruise how to balance a falcon on his arm in November 2010. Photo: Dubai Media Office / AFP -
Cruise famously performs his own stunts, including one at Dubai's Burj Khalifa, for the fourth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. AP -
Cruise was dangled outside of Burj Khalifa by Renner. Photo: Paramount / Everett / REX -
Cruise, centre, and production teams on the Abu Dhabi set of Mission: Impossible — Fallout in 2018. Photo: Paramount Pictures and Skydance -
Cruise skydiving down to the desert in Abu Dhabi, as part of a stunt for Fallout. Photo: Mission: Impossible / Twitter
Elena Sorlini, acting chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom Cruise, the cast and crew of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One back to Abu Dhabi.”
“We’re proud of our role in the film and our contribution to Abu Dhabi as a destination that attracts global talent. The scenes showcased in the movie are a testament to the architecture, scale and design of the iconic Midfield Terminal, which is inspired by the cultural elements of Abu Dhabi.”
Antonoaldo Neves, group chief executive of Etihad Aviation Group, added: “Partnering with Mission: Impossible is a great testament to destination Abu Dhabi and what it has to offer. I couldn’t be prouder of Abu Dhabi and our team in showcasing the unique attractions of the emirate, our new airport and Etihad in the movie.”
