Here’s your final warning – spoilers for the latest Mission: Impossible film ahead!
Tom Cruise’s death-defying speed flying filmed in the Lake District plays a big part in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One.
Released in UK cinemas on Monday – footage of the stunt closes out the new Hollywood film alongside an ending monologue that gears viewers up for part two.
Filmgoers who are familiar with Buttermere will be in for a treat – as the water and surrounding landscape appears in all its glory for several shots as Cruise parachutes to the bottom of the valley.
The speed flying comes after the final fight on a train between Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt and nemesis Gabriel played by Esai Morales.
Gabriel is a man from Ethan’s past working on behalf of ‘The Entity’ – a rouge artificial intelligence programme Ethan is trying to defeat.
Once Cruise lands after the speed flying, he is then picked up in a car by Simon Pegg who plays Ethan’s close friend Benji and soon after, the credits roll.
The Lake District isn’t named in the film as a Mission: Impossible location but instead, is passed off as being part of the Australian Alps, where the train fight takes place.
Speed flying is similar to paragliding, but uses a smaller canopy, allowing people to perform rapid spirals and drops while reaching speeds of up to 50mph just inches off the ground.
In a behind the scenes video, Cruise explains the complexity of filming the stunt for the big screen and how a gimbal rig was used to film as planes and helicopters were unable to get close to the star.
Director Christopher McQuarrie said that the crew were all in ‘absolute terror’ watching Cruise perform the Lake District stunt.
His co-star Simon Pegg was later photographed visiting Mizu Pan Asian Restaurant – now somewhat a celeb hotspot – in Borrowdale near Keswick.
They also said he apologised for the noise of the helicopters before jumping off the mountain to perform the speed flying stunt multiple times.
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part Two is already in production and is set to hit cinemas in June 2024.
It is not yet known if the Lake District will feature again in the next film but Norway and South Africa have so far been confirmed as filming locations.
