Tom Cruise was spotted in Oribi Gorge on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal (cruising about in his very own chopper) and Hoedspruit in Limpopo, reportedly filming for the next Mission: Impossible film.
The series of American action spy films first made their way to the silver screen in 1996 with Cruise starring as “Ethan Hunt”, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force.
#TomCruise Tom's already in South Africa!
— Tom Cruise Fan #follow me (@Tomcruisetopp) February 10, 2022
"Tom Cruise flying his own chopper over Oribi Gorge. He is here for a few days to check out the area. They want to shoot Mission Impossible 8 here."#TomCruise#MissionImpossible8#TomCruisenews pic.twitter.com/WTlylYgj0P
Seven films have already been released, churning out $3.578 billion (R53.98bn) at the worldwide box office on a budget of $823 million. Location shoots for the previous movies have taken place in destinations like Paris, London, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates. This time around, the budget has brought them to the sunny shores of Mzansi.
Twitter fan pages @TCNews62 and @Tomcruisetopp are keeping people updated on the star’s every move. Most recently, a set of pictures featuring a fleet of planes being transported to an undisclosed location in Hoedspruit were shared. It is rumoured that they are going to be used in a scene involving a “big stunt”.
The planes for the big stunt arrived in Hoedspruit, South Africa...#MissionImpossible8#TomCruise pic.twitter.com/GzzFdTrS5c
— Tom Cruise News (@TCNews62) February 8, 2022
The actor was also noticed and photographed by a Hoedspruit resident known for her leopard spotting talents and photography. Cruise was spotted flying above her property in a helicopter, according to homeowner Gillian Leigh Soames. Gillian decided to flash him to offer him a more than warm welcome, and the “chopper flashed her back,” according to her social media announcement.
All the online hoopla had “Tom Cruise” trending on Mzansi Twitter. Peeps responded to the sitings with thrill and excitement while others joined in purely for the sake of banter. The account @Vonkdieridder created a list of “some impossible things to do in SA.” Dodging potholes, renewing your driver's licence and finding electricity, featured in the top five spaces with the user then asking more people to add to his list.
Tom Cruise is shooting Mission Impossible 8 in South Africa. Here are some impossible things to do in SA. Feel free to add.
— Blitz (@Vonkdieridder) February 13, 2022
1. Dodging potholes.
2. Finding electricity.
3. Renew your drivers licence.
4. Contacting your municipality.
5. Finding a uncorrupted polititian
While exploring the country’s natural beauty, Cruise made the day of an 8-year-old boy who spotted the star’s helicopter as it flew over his house. His mother, @angi_ellit, shared the touching story to Instagram. “Our aspiring helicopter pilot (8 years old) has absolutely no idea who you are as an actor, but screamed with so much excitement about your helicopter (his favourite heli is a Squirrel/ AStar), and the fact you flew right over and waved at us!” her caption read.
Cruise and the production team will remain in Limpopo for about two months, according to Cape Town Etc, with the Blyde River Canyon serving as one of the film's backdrops. Cape Town will also be exposed to some celebrity action as Cruise and the Mission Impossible team are anticipated to visit to commence the filming of more sequences.
This is not the only international film being shot in South Africa. The City of Cape Town has shared that it had authorised 1 017 film shoot permits to take place in 2022 with 181 for January. With our rugged mountains and coastlines to thriving city life, cultural sites and wilderness so rich in biodiversity, it’s no surprise that we’ve become one of the top choices for international filmmakers.