Tom Cruise, the ageless Hollywood icon, experienced a surge of emotion at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 during the premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The film received a five-minute standing ovation, a testament to Cruise's dedication to performing breathtaking and death-defying practical stunts.
The premiere was a grand affair, enhanced by a live 40-piece orchestra that played the iconic Mission: Impossible theme as Cruise and the cast arrived. Cruise, along with fellow cast members Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis, greeted fans and signed autographs on the famous steps of Cannes. The actor also took part in an all-star selfie.
The response to the film and Cruise's commitment was overwhelming. Director Christopher McQuarrie expressed gratitude, stating that the audience's reaction is "why we do it" and emphasized the importance of the "big screen experience". Cruise himself thanked the festival crowd, expressing his gratitude for being a part of the event.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning marks a significant moment in Cruise's career, potentially his final appearance as Ethan Hunt, the character he has portrayed for many years. Cruise first attended Cannes in 1992 for Far and Away and made a memorable return in 2022 with Top Gun: Maverick, where he also received a five-minute standing ovation and a special tribute.
The Cannes Film Festival 2025 has been a celebration of both established legacies and fresh voices in cinema. Robert De Niro received the Honorary Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement, presented by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Despite the film screening out of competition, it has garnered significant attention, with the North American premiere scheduled for May 23rd. While some viewers found the film's runtime exhausting, the stunts and Cruise's performance were generally well-received. A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) captured Cruise walking down the aisle at the Grand Théâtre Lumière amidst the audience's enthusiastic applause. The film is scheduled for release in India on May 17.
