In its 2025 release, The Final Reckoning of the Mission: Impossible series might have concluded the franchise, but not before a flurry of memorable moments unfolded where Tom Cruise dangled from aircraft, dodged lasers, climbed the Burj Khalifa, and engaged in motorcycle chases, among other thrilling escapades. Of all these, the Burj Khalifa scene has always held a special place for me, as I learned it was largely improvised by Christopher McQuarrie himself.
That Burj Khalifa Scene Was Not Fully Scripted When Ghost Protocol Went Into Production
During Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation earlier this year, it seems that Tom Cruise mentioned Christopher McQuarrie appearing on the set of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol while they were struggling with a particularly complex scene, which he referred to as a “Rubik’s cube.” Interestingly, at the time, Christopher McQuarrie wasn’t directing the movie; Brad Bird was. Moreover, McQuarrie wasn’t officially credited as a writer for the film. However, Cruise managed to bring him aboard even before they had received formal approval for his involvement.
By this stage in the movie, I’d filmed much of the action, but I realized that I hadn’t yet established the necessary framework for it. You know, keeping your story fresh is crucial… Films are more than just written words; they’re alive and evolving. That’s why you need to keep refining and discovering. So we were well into filming when I reached out to McQ and said, “Listen, could you please lend a hand here?
Initially, Brad Bird, who later became closely associated with the franchise, along with co-star Simon Pegg, were reportedly unaware of who McQuarrie was during their initial visit to the set. However, Cruise, who was familiar with a famous scene involving scaling the Burj Khalifa in nothing but gloves, recognized that it wasn’t feasible. He knew that McQ could help them escape this predicament, as he shared at the event:
As a cinephile on set, I’m about to hoist the gloves and scale… things are feeling a bit off, if you know what I mean? McQ hollers from afar, “Hey, can you give me a lift to the studio?” [Later] Bird and Pegg shoot me puzzled looks, as if wondering who this stranger is. I hadn’t mentioned that he was there to pen the script.
At this point, McQ began meticulously setting things up. Soon enough, he had figured out all the intricate elements that made the scene appear grand on a cinematic scale. It seemed that all Cruise needed to do was explain the significance of the blue and red lights to him.
In a swift manner, I briefly introduced everyone and gave McQ a concise summary of the setting. I explained there were two colors – blue representing gloves that were sticking together, and red indicating no adherence. Immediately, McQ quipped, “Blue is like glue, red is dead,” before writing out the entire scene we were about to film. This was all reminiscent of Brad Bird’s reaction – a look of bewilderment, as if questioning, ‘Who on earth is this man?’ I simply replied, ‘That’s McQ.’
It’s astonishing to imagine this could lead to success, but indeed, we now realize that this scene was thrilling. Moreover, it appears to have solidified Cruise and McQuarrie’s professional bond, leading McQuarrie to direct the sequel to Ghost Protocol, better known as Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. They continued their collaboration on the franchise through 2025’s critically acclaimed The Final Reckoning, a movie that Tom Cruise confirmed will mark the end of the series as a whole.
It’s fascinating to ponder that the death-defying stunts in “Mission: Impossible” weren’t all planned out initially, but even since Brad Bird took over, a significant amount of improvisation has been involved. The scenes turned out well, and Cruise shared with audiences that his new collaborator would later polish scripts for other films, most notably “World War Z,” as well as “Edge of Tomorrow” and the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick.
The pair seem to complement each other perfectly, as Cruise occasionally prods McQuarrie into implementing Mission: Impossible modifications, and it leaves me curious about the direction of their collaboration now that Ethan Hunt generally has a satisfying conclusion.
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2025-08-01 21:27