Unleashing the Madness: Inside the Scriptless Filming of Mission: Impossible 7

Rebecca Ferguson, star of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, sheds light on the franchise's unconventional approach to production. As the seventh installment in the series, the film sees the return of Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, alongside Ferguson's Ilsa, Simon Pegg's Benji, and Ving Rhames' Luther. Having first joined the franchise in 2015's Rogue Nation, Ferguson plays a pivotal role as both Ethan's love interest and a skilled spy in her own right. In a recent interview with Town & Country, Ferguson opens up about her experience working on the franchise and the upcoming film. She reveals that Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie prefer to work without traditional scripts, which proved to be a new challenge for her.

The Mission: Impossible Franchise's Unorthodox Productions Explained

While we don't adhere to strict scripts, I do appreciate having a sense of structure to work from. However, the lack of control can be challenging at times. Nevertheless, this approach allows us to embrace the chaos and find a method in the madness. For instance, in [Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One], we were able to create an explosive and dynamic film, complete with never-before-seen stunts that will leave audiences in awe.

While it is uncertain if the Mission: Impossible movies have always been produced without a script, the most recent films have undoubtedly showcased an exceptional level of proficiency in this regard. With McQuarrie as the sole director to have helmed multiple entries (including Mission: Impossible 7 and 8), it is evident that he and Cruise share a remarkable synergy. Both creators possess a similar creative vision when it comes to delivering an adrenaline-fueled cinematic experience.

The production process for Mission: Impossible films is unique in that the stunts are often created first and then the story is built around them. Even though director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise have a general idea of what they want the film to look like, the sequences are constantly being fleshed out and honed in real time. For example, Cruise was determined to do the motorcycle jump in Mission: Impossible 7, while McQuarrie came up with the idea for the train crash. Despite the ongoing WGA strike causing production on Mission: Impossible 8 to shut down, the franchise's ability to rewrite and alter the story on the fly has proven successful thus far, with positive reactions to early screenings of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Source: Town & Country