A lot has been said about the value, or lack thereof, of the theatrical experience. Few stars have done quite as much in recent years to support theaters as Tom Cruise, who has used social media to promote many movies -- both those he's starred in and those he hasn't. At the same time, he's created films that draw people into theaters. Cruise isn’t just talking either, as a delightful video involving him, his Mission: Impossible co-stars and popcorn shows how much fun he has in theaters.
Mission: Impossible alum Hayley Atwell shared a hilarious video on Instagram that shows herself, along with fellow Final Reckoning cast members Tom Cruise, Pom Klementieff and Simon Pegg tossing popcorn into each other’s mouths. It’s hilarious, including the way they all cheer when somebody catches one, screaming like they just threw a Super Bowl touchdown pass. This is entertainment.
As much as I didn't expect it, I love everything about this. With Tom Cruise being the biggest movie star in the world, and with plenty of questions surrounding just what the man is really like behind the scenes, it’s fun to see him just goofing off with movie theater popcorn the way any of us could. Many of us can likely relate due to having done the same thing from time to time. I just hope they didn't throw it all around before the movie started.
Considering how popular Tom Cruise is, this is the sort of thing that might actually get people to consider heading out to their local cinemas. It’s not only the blockbuster films, of which Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is certainly one, but it’s the experience of enjoying a movie theater, the large screen, the darkness and of course, the snacks. While we may be quiet during movies, the theatrical experience is a communal one, and this sort of video shows just how much fun friends can have at the movies.
Steven Spielberg said that Tom Cruise saved movie theaters, thanks to the success of Top Gun: Maverick and since then he’s used social media to promote all major film releases, most recently Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which so impressed Michael B. Jordan that he showed up to the Final Reckoning premiere as a way to return the favor. All these movie stars loving each other is enough to make you want to go to the movies again.
Up to this point, it’s been unclear just how “final” the Final Reckoning would be, but all signs point to this being the end of the Mission: Impossible franchise, or at least the end of Tom Cruise’s time with it. That said, he’s certainly not showing any signs of slowing down as an actor, so we will almost certainly have plenty more chances to see Cruise on the big screen with a big tub of popcorn before it’s all said and done.