Tom cruise says he confronted fear of shooting stunts for 'Mission: Impossible 7'

SEOUL: Hollywood star Tom Cruise said Thursday he felt great pressure making the seventh installment of American spy action film "Mission: Impossible" and was scared to shoot dangerous stunt scenes but considered the opportunity a "privilege."

Cruise was on his 11th visit to South Korea to promote "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" along with director Christopher McQuarrie, as well as other cast members, including Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby and Pom Klementieff.

Cruise was met by an enthusiastic crowd of fans and movie buffs eager to catch a glimpse of the star upon his arrival at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center in western Seoul on Wednesday, and will attend a red carpet event at Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul later on Thursday, according to Yonhap news agency.

The 60-year-old actor reprises the role of Ethan Hunt, the iconic agent of the Impossible Missions Force, who is tasked with tracking down a potent new artificial intelligence weapon to prevent it from falling into the hands of villains.

In the movie, he performs death-defying stunts, such as actually jumping off a cliff in Norway and drifting one-handed in a yellow Fiat 500 through the winding streets of Rome.

Cruise said he felt scared when jumping off a motorcycle to shoot one of the dangerous scenes but tried to keep calm and carry on performing without fail.

"It's not like I'm not scared. I don't mind being scared. I want to confront it," Cruise said during a press conference at Lotte Cinema World Tower.

Cruise, the lead actor and producer of the film, said his team focused on creating "Mission: Impossible 7" as a globe-trotting cinematic adventure that encompasses action, adventure, drama and humour.

"We just treat each day as another day filled with pressure of making a movie. We also have another saying, which is pressure is a privilege," it reported Cruise said.

The latest series, he said, is broken into two parts to add depth to characters' narratives and tell a bigger story.

"The action and the stunts, all of the spectacle, don't matter if you're not invested in the characters and invested emotionally in the story," he said.

Director McQuarrie said his team thoroughly prepared the safety and execution of dangerous scenes to push beyond the limits of the prequels and make it entertaining.

When shooting stunt scenes, McQuarrie said he keeps this foremost in mind: "Bring Tom to Earth safely. That's pretty much it. And make sure it was worth doing."

"If you're thinking too much about what could go wrong, that's where your focus is. So we are focused on everything that could go right," he added.

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" will hit South Korean screens on July 12. The second part is scheduled to be released next year.

-- BERNAMA