Production on Mission: Impossible 8 is nearing completion, meaning it’s time for Tom Cruise to return to the United States. It’s common for actors to travel for film and TV projects, but Cruise’s time in Europe was beyond normal. Not only does actor and director Christopher McQuarrie decide to film Mission: Impossible in quick succession, but given the amount of delays and changes to the filming schedule, he has spent years overseas at this point. I am doing it.
According to The Sun, Cruise has finally decided to relocate to the US after spending more than five years in the UK. The original plan did not seem to have him staying in England for long, but circumstances forced him to remain overseas. He originally traveled to Europe in 2019 when production on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning began. That was around the time we at CinemaBlend started covering the production of M:I. The plan had always been to shoot the 7th and 8th series back-to-back, so the two-year stay overseas was probably within their expectations.
However, in 2020, the new coronavirus infection occurred and a global lockdown occurred. This caused delays in all film production across the industry. The film was scheduled to begin filming in February 2020, but due to the coronavirus, M:I’s schedule was delayed, and filming ultimately began in the summer of 2020, with the first production due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was one of the movies that restarted. Despite production restarting, Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 continued to face delays. This is because new pandemic protocols had to be followed at various filming locations, and special approvals were often required before work could proceed.
(Image credit: Paramount)
Mission: Impossible 7 was finally released last summer, but production on the eighth film continued. Shortly after its 2023 release, an industry-wide writer’s and actor’s strike hit the entertainment industry, again causing several filming delays. M:I 8 was originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2024, but was pushed back again to 2025 to accommodate further Hollywood production disruptions. The SAG strike officially ended in November 2023, allowing production to finally recover. Considering the scale of the movie, it only recently finished filming, allowing Cruise to return home after five years on the mission.
All things considered, it makes sense that Cruise essentially remained in Europe for six months, but it’s still a crazy thing to think about. Even under these circumstances, the actor played a major role in the closing ceremony during the Paris Olympics, becoming a notable figure. The Jerry Maguire star also joined Taylor Swift’s Ella’s Tour in between his crazy mission stunts. He also returned to the United States regularly to promote his major filmmaking accomplishments, Top Gun: Maverick and M:I 7. It’s hard to believe that Cruise was in London the whole time, but I hope the world will realize it was all worth it when M:I 8 finally hits theaters.
Tom Cruise can be seen in Mission: Impossible 8, which is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2025. This movie is one of the most anticipated movies on the 2025 movie release schedule, so check it out if you get a chance. In the meantime, fans of the series can rewatch Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and other M:I movies with a Paramount+ subscription.
