‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’: Audience member nearly suffers heart attack during early screening of Tom Cruise film

A still from ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

Christopher McQuarrie, director of the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has shared details of an intense audience reaction during an early screening of the film.

In an interview with Empire, McQuarrie recalled a moment where a viewer described the experience as physically overwhelming. “Someone said, ‘I was suffocating throughout the entire sequence. I almost had a heart attack,’” McQuarrie said. “I thought, ‘I guess we did something right.’”

The film, which stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, is set to feature the death-defying action the franchise is known for. Early promotional material has highlighted sequences involving underwater scenes and a submarine, continuing the tradition of ambitious stunts led by Cruise.

The production faced multiple delays, including disruptions from the Hollywood writers’ strike in mid-2023. As the eighth installment in the series, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning serves as a direct follow-up to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

In addition to Cruise, the film features returning cast members Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, and Pom Klementieff. The film is slated for a theatrical release on May 23, 2025, with McQuarrie, who has directed every entry since Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, once again at the helm.