Tom Cruise made a striking entrance on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet Wednesday, greeted by a live band playing the iconic “Mission: Impossible” theme as organizers went all out to celebrate what could be the star’s final appearance in the franchise.
Returning to Cannes three years after dazzling audiences with “Top Gun: Maverick” and a dramatic jet flyover, Cruise, 62, visibly impressed, mouthing words like “wow” and “bravo” during the musical tribute. He warmly greeted fans who had endured hours of intense sun in the French Riviera before joining his “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” co-stars for the carpet walk.
Read more: WWE Star John Cena Opens Up About His Marriage for the First Time
Alongside Cruise were fellow cast members Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, and Hannah Waddingham, who even took selfies with the action star before entering the lavishly decorated Grand Lumiere Theatre.
Also spotted at the premiere were U.S. actresses Zoe Saldana, Eva Longoria, Andie MacDowell (dressed in a suit), and Cannes jury member Halle Berry.
Cruise reprises his iconic role as Ethan Hunt for the eighth time in this latest installment directed by Christopher McQuarrie, with a U.S. release scheduled for May 23. With a massive budget estimated at $400 million, the new “Mission: Impossible” film is among the high-profile releases hoped to boost cinema attendance and aid the industry’s recovery, which remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Last year, box office revenue in the U.S. and Canada reached $8.6 billion, still 25% shy of the $11.4 billion recorded in 2019.
