Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” movies, and the upcoming “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is no exception. In a new featurette, Cruise reveals that he learned how to speed-fly, a dangerous sport that director Christopher McQuarrie calls “one of the most dangerous sports in the world.”

Speed-flying is similar to paragliding, but the flyer stays closer to the ground, which increases the risk of collision. Cruise says that he and the crew practiced speed-flying for months, and he even did spirals and landed at speeds of over 80 kilometers per hour.

While speed-flying was a dangerous stunt, it wasn’t the most dangerous one Cruise performed in the movie. The most infamous stunt is the motorcycle stunt, where Cruise rides a motorcycle off the edge of a cliff and parachutes to safety. Cruise wanted to film this stunt on the first day of production so that he would know if he could continue filming the rest of the movie.

“We know either we will continue with the film or we’re not,” Cruise said. “Let’s know day one! Let us know day one what is going to happen: Do we all continue or is it a major rewrite?”

Cruise says that he was training for months for the motorcycle stunt, and he was ready to do it. He knew that he had to be “razor sharp” for the stunt, and he wanted to get it done on the first day of production.

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opens in theaters on July 12. You can watch Cruise in all his speed-flying glory in the video below.

Here are some additional details:

• Speed-flying is a relatively new sport, and it has become increasingly popular in recent years.
• The sport is known for its high speeds and close proximity to the ground, which makes it a very dangerous activity.
• There have been a number of fatalities in speed-flying accidents, and the sport is not recommended for beginners.
• Tom Cruise is not the only actor who has performed dangerous stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” movies. Other actors who have performed their own stunts include Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson.
• The “Mission: Impossible” movies are known for their high-octane action sequences, and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is expected to be no different. The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 12, 2023.