Bringing CineEurope attendees to their feet, Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance at the exhibition convention here in Barcelona today. Cruise, who is the only star to have appeared live and in-person on stage this week, added some wattage to what outside pandemic times is typically a very talent-heavy affair. He turned up for Paramount’s presentation of its upcoming films and introduced a look at both Mission: Impossible 7 and Top Gun: Maverick.
Under a veil of secrecy, Cruise had flown into Barcelona from London where post is being finished on Mission 7, and told the assembled European exhibitors, “I wanted to come personally and thank you all. We’ve had a great relationship over 40 years of my career.” When making films, Cruise said, “I’m always thinking about you all” and “sharing the work in theaters.”
He noted he and the Mission: Impossible films teams are always trying reach a higher bar, but that it’s “about story and not just about stunts… We always try to figure out how to communicate to the broadest possible audience.” The Mission 7 footage was similar to what we saw at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in August, involving Cruise’s latest death-defying stunt as Ethan Hunt.
Before introducing the first 13 minutes of the Top Gun sequel (which likewise was shown at CinemaCon), Cruise said he had been “asked for decades” to reprise his role as flying ace Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and that finally “the time was right.”
Cruise’s appearance today was kind of fitting given it was here in Barcelona that two years ago it was the CineEurope audience that was first to see the first footage from Maverick in a two-minute sneak peek.
“I love making movies, it’s my passion,” Cruise said from the stage this afternoon, telling exhibition, “Every day we want the very best it can be. We’re out here with you and for you and we’re never going to stop.”
Top Gun: Maverick releases in May next year and Mission: Impossible 7 is due in late September.
The Paramount presentation was hosted by Mark Viane, President of International Theatrical Distribution, and Mary Daily, Co-President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution who had earlier shown off a new trailer for Maverick as well as footage from a handful of other films.
Those included family pics Rumble and Clifford The Big Red Dog and an extended look at Sonic The Hedgehog 2. Also turning up was the worldwide debut of the trailer for next year’s continuation of horror franchise Scream.
Via video, Sandra Bullock introduced a sizzle reel for Lost City Of D, the adventure/comedy/romance that also stars Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe. Also via video, director Steven Caple Jr and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura delivered a message from Machu Picchu as they talked up the currently shooting Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts which is due next year.