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South Africans in the province of Limpopo have been excited to have Hollywood star Tom Cruise in their neck of the woods. Cruise is currently on location in the small town of Hoedspruit to film the 8th installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise.
The film marks Cruise’s eighth appearance as the lead character. He’s been filling the role of Ethan Hunt for an amazing 26 years, though producers have hinted that the eighth film will be the last in the series.
Why Did 'Mission Impossible' Choose South Africa?
The films in the Mission: Impossible franchise are shot in real locations, rather than on sound stages or using green screens. The producers include breathtaking spots for the on-screen action.
Previous shoots have included Dubai, Seville, Shanghai, Prague, Budapest, and New Zealand’s South Island. And South Africa certainly has a wide variety of breathtaking scenery to choose from.
It’s Not The Only Hollywood Movie To Be Shot In South Africa
The country at the southernmost tip of Africa has been used for a number of shoots. The striking scenery has tempted many filmmakers. What may be the last in the Mission: Impossible franchise won't be the first or last of the movies shot in South Africa.
In 2017 The Dark Tower, which featured English actor Idris Elba, was shot in the stark Karoo desert and in the majestic Cederberg mountain range.
2018 Saw Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron using locations in Johannesburg’s city Centre. In the same year, the action film Tomb Raider, featuring Swedish actress Alicia Vikande, was shot in and around Cape Town.
Mission: Impossible 8 will showcase the scenic Blyde River Canyon, and it's also been hinted that some scenes will feature the scenic areas around Durban and Cape Town.
A Number Of Hollywood Stars Were Born In South Africa
The country has a thriving film industry and has given rise to many famous actors. Most people know Hollywood A-lister, Charlize Theron, hails from the country.
But there are a number of other stars who were born in South Africa who have gone on to make their mark in the film world.
What’s Planned For The Film’s Signature Stunt?
Fans of the franchise love the death-defying stunts in the films. In fact, after the second film had hit screens, it was later revealed that it was actually written around the action sequences rather than the plots.
Each movie features a signature stunt, which is punted as part of the publicity.
The excitement is further heightened by the fact that Tom Cruise actually performs the stunts himself. In Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, the actor was the one who really scaled the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. It's a fact loved by fans the world over that Tom doesn't have a stunt double.
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation saw the actor hanging off the side of a flying plane 5000 feet up in the air. Tom has also hung off the rocks at Dead Horse Point in Utah and driven a motorbike off a cliff in Norway.
The stunts are definitely worth it for Cruise, who makes massive amounts of money from the franchise.
Is Ethan Hunt Back To Planes In 'Mission: Impossible 8'?
Locals in South Africa were excited to see WW2 planes arriving in the small town before filming began. The planes were moved to an undisclosed location.
The pre-publicity around the stunt hasn’t been released yet, but Tom was seen piloting a similar plane over the skies in England late last year. Given the evidence, it would seem as though Ethan Hunt may be involved in some high-flying action in the eighth movie.
Either way, fans can be sure Tom will be pulling off some amazing stunts during the filming, just as he has done countless times in the past.
The Covid Pandemic Affected The Release Dates of 'Mission: Impossible' 7 And 8
Mission: Impossible fans will have a feast when installment 8 is released hot on the heels of the seventh movie, which was badly affected by the pandemic.
The seventh film in the franchise was due to start shooting in Venice, Italy in February 2020. The first day’s shooting was scheduled to get going on the very day that Northern Italy went into lockdown. As a result, production was hurriedly moved to Rome.
There was a further delay when the Eternal City was also shut down when cases spiked in the southern part of the country. These delays caused some to return to the urban legend about the Mission Impossible franchise being cursed.
The desperate attempts to outrun the pandemic were like something out of one of the movies, but eventually, producers had to give in and change release dates for Mission Impossible 7, which has impacted the dates for the next movie, too. Two movies in a row are not going to be a problem for fans, though!
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