Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Editor Reveals Secrets Behind Wild Train Sequence
Warning: Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One spoilers ahead.
The infamous train sequence in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One features Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt engaged in a rooftop battle with Esai Morales' Gabriel, while hurtling down a track at 60 mph. Originally much longer, the scene reaches its climax with the train plunging off a bridge one carriage at a time, with Ethan and Grace (Hayley Atwell) clinging for their lives as they scramble back through the train.
In a recent interview with Variety, the film's editor, Eddie Hamilton, revealed that he first crafted an hour-and-a-half long version of this sequence in 2022, which was eventually trimmed down to about 50 minutes in the final cut.
«We combed through every shot, asking if we needed this frame and whether we could cut any tighter,» Hamilton said of working with director Christopher McQuarrie, «drill[ing] down on every moment.» Hamilton, who has previously edited other Cruise films, including Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible — Fallout, discussed the meticulous approach and process he and McQuarrie have collaborated on over the years.
Hamilton also discussed the importance of test audiences in gauging where to make cuts. For example, for the part where the carriages start falling into the ravine, the original duration of this scene was over three minutes long. «It was originally a bit longer, and we lifted a few sections out because they were saying it was too much,» Hamilton said.
For more, check out the full interview over at Variety.
After premiering on July 12, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One has secured Cruise his second consecutive summer hit at the box office worldwide,
Read more on gamespot.com
