Behind the Scenes: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

For a machine-tooled $290 million stunt-fuelled blockbuster it comes as a surprise to learn that the latest Mission: Impossible instalment was made with improvisation and experimentation at its core, reports Adrian Pennington.

Director Christopher McQuarrie may not quite be working with improv to the degree of a Shane Meadows or Mike Leigh but there are similarities to their indie drama in his method.

“No-one gets a script,” said the film’s editor Eddie Hamilton ACE, who cut the last two MI films, Rogue Nation and Fallout, as well as Top Gun: Maverick). “Instead, every head of department gets a sense of the type of sequences that are going to happen.

“Chris [aka McQ] and Tom have been having creative discussions for a decade about things they would like to see in the next MI movie. They will build the story around...

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