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...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.

Behind the scenes: Sinners
Shooting large format IMAX and designing a surreal montage resonated with the film's themes of spiritual ancestry and musical legacy.

Behind the scenes: 1992 and the colourist of Seville
Netflix series 1992 presents a chilling depiction of Seville during the 1992 World’s Fair, where heavy contrasts of light, dark, and a muted colour palette set a gothic atmospheric tone for this suspenseful thriller.

Behind the scenes: Warfare
Extended takes, 360-degree sets, and military authenticity reinforce the fog of war recreated from the memories of real life US soldiers.

Behind the scenes: The Last of Us II
There is a version of episode 2 where the brutal death of a loved character isn’t quite so extreme. But they chose not to go there, explains editor Timothy A Good.

Behind the scenes – Daredevil: Born Again
The Hell’s Kitchen of Disney’s masked vigilante reboot is given a grungy seventies overhaul by lead cinematographer Hillary Fyfe Spera