Cruise performed the stunt without any hitches, and was even willing to go back for more takes
To simulate the jump, which was ultimately filmed in Hellesylt, Norway, in September 2020, the film crew replicated a ramp and quarry – filled with cardboard boxes to catch the motorcycle – in England.
McQuarrie explained how different ramps were built at different angles to calculate what Cruise’s trajectory would be.
‘We have to be able to consistently predict where Tom is going to be in three-dimensional space,’ he said.
A GPS chip recorded every single one of the star’s jumps, along with his ground speed and whether there was a headwind or a crosswind, to build a consistent set of data.
Cruise added: ‘The key is me hitting certain speeds and being consistent with that.
‘There’s no speedometer, so I do it by sound and feel of the bike. Then as I depart the bike I’m using the wind that’s hitting me here, I’m cupping my chest, that will give me lift.’
By analysing the data on each take, the filmmakers were able to seeย the height Cruise was reaching, and set drones and cameras in places where close-up shots could be captured.
McQuarrie added: ‘Finding the right lens, the right platform, the right medium – even two years ago, the cameras didn’t exist that would allow us to do what we’re trying to do today.’
The ramp in Norway was constructed over several months, with all the equipment having to be brought in by helicopter
A GPS chip recorded every single one of the star’s jumps, along with his ground speed and whether there was a headwind or a crosswind, to build a consistent set of data
The film crew had their head in their hands when Cruise performed the hugely dangerous stunt
Cruise revealed how there was no speedometer on the bike, so he calculated how fast he was going by sound and feel of the bike
It took months for the film crew to assemble the ramp Cruise drove off in Norway
The ramp in Norway was constructed over several months, with all the equipment having to be brought in by helicopter.
Filming could only take place if the weather conditions were perfect, both in terms of light and cloud cover – ‘misty, but not foggy’.
BASE jumping coach John Devore admitted in the video: ‘Of course, when something’s being done for the first time you can’t help but worry a little bit about how it’s really going to turn out.’
Daisher added: ‘If you don’t get a clean exit from the bike and you get tangled up with it, if you don’t open your parachute then you’re not going to make it.’
Fortunately, Cruise performed the stunt without any hitches, and was even willing to go back for more takes.
As one crew member recalled: ‘Tom Cruise just rode a motorcycle off a cliff six times today.’
After the suspense-filled jumps, McQuarrie said: ‘The only thing that scares me more is what we have planned for Mission [Impossible] 8.’
Cruise summed up the experience by saying: I’ve wanted to do it since I was a little kid. It all comes down to one thing – the audience.’
By analysing the data on each take, the filmmakers were able to see the height Cruise was reaching, and set drones and cameras in places where close-up shots could be captured
After driving the bike off a cliff, Cruise then goes into a BASE jump, which he prepared for with some 500 skydives
Outlining his philosophy when it comes to dangerous scenes to the camera, Cruise says: ‘Don’t be careful, be competent’
Another high-profile stunt he performs in the film takes place aboard a moving train at 60mph, when he fights a villain played by Esai Morales.
Returning to the sequel are Cruise’s usual sidekicks – veteran Hollywood names Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby.
Meanwhile, Pom Klementieff, Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg also star in the blockbuster.
Speaking toย 9Honey Celebrityย on the red carpet of the movie’s Australian premiere earlier this week, Cruise revealed his thoughts while filming the motorbike scene.
‘I was thinking of performance, because, you see me at the beginning, I have to act, but I’m also thinking about the helicopter that’s going down, the speed that I have to travel down that ramp,’ he said.
‘[Also] not getting blown off the ramp by a helicopter, not hitting the drone that was at the end of the ramp, not having the motorcycle hit me and destabilise me when I have a few seconds before I hit the ground, holding my position as long as I can, because if I open too soon, that’s not the shot.’
Cruise also recently revealed that he doesn’t wear helmets in his stunts because it ‘just doesn’t look cool’.
‘I wear helmets when I ride motorcycles, and when I’m training, and I wear pads,’ he explained.
‘But when you start to go film, all the pads come off. So I train in helmets, but when I’m jumping and racing high-speed bikes, then it’s not cinematic.’
