J.J. Abrams Was Warned About Working With Tom Cruise On Mission: Impossible 3
Along with "Mission: Impossible 2," "Mission: Impossible 3" is often thought of as one of the lesser "Mission: Impossible" flicks. But I'm here to tell you it's a lot better than its reputation suggests. The action is solid, the villain — played by Philip Seymour Hoffman — is the best of the franchise, and the story itself firmly establishes who Ethan Hunt is and why he does what he does in future movies.
"Mission: Impossible 3" marked the feature directorial debut of J.J. Abrams, who was until then primarily known for TV work. Jumping into a big franchise as a first-time director was no doubt daunting for Abrams. Then you throw in the fact that the filmmaker was going to work with Tom Cruise, a huge movie star who can be a little intimidating in his intensity. On top of that, Cruise was also the producer of the movie. And as it turns out, when Abrams took the gig, people warned him about working with Cruise.
'It could not have been less of a problem'
Tom Cruise! He runs, he loves popcorn, and he wants to save the movies. He can also be a bit intimidating, and I imagine if he's both the star and producer of your movie, that can only increase the potential tension. In a behind-the-scenes video, director J.J. Abrams reveals that there were potential anxieties associated with the job. "'Mission: Impossible 3' was the first movie that I directed, and it was because Tom gave me the shot," Abrams said, adding: "And I didn't know what I was getting into, and people warned me, 'Oh, the movie star is the producer, that could be a real problem.'"
Look, I'm no filmmaker, but I know that if my first job involved working with Tommy Cruise, I'd be a little nervous. As it turns out, though, there was nothing to worry about. "It could not have been less of a problem," Abrams said, adding:
"Tom was as aware of the process of making the movie, of what it needed, as anyone I could've imagined. Every day I felt that he and I were in the trenches together in this incredible way where we were both sort of pulling each other up this mountain, and he wasn't a movie star looking to do a vanity project. He was an incredibly focused, dedicated producer who also happened to be starring in the movie."
So it all worked out in the end. The film was a hit, the franchise continued, and J.J. Abrams would go on to direct even bigger movies. As for Tom Cruise, I'm sure he's out there, somewhere, running as fast as he can.