Regal Atlantic Station in Atlanta received a surprise visitor Tuesday night when Tom Cruise, along with director Christopher McQuarrie, stopped in to greet the crowd before the “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” screening.
Almost every seat in the theater was filled just in time for a “surprise guest” visit from a member of the cast. After movie previews played, the side door slipped open, and Cruise and McQuarrie greeted the excited cheering of the movie-goers with smiles and waves. Cruise shook hands and bumped fists on his way to the front of the theater.
“Great to be in Atlanta,” Cruise said as guests held up phones to film. “We just wanted to say thank you all for being here.”
Credit: Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Credit: Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
McQuarrie praised Cruise’s help in keeping the film going and risking his life on motorcycle stunts “for your entertainment,” McQuarrie said.
The seventh “Mission: Impossible” faced COVID-19 hurdles, but McQuarrie said Cruise was determined to help ensure safety and security for movie-making.
“One person at the very beginning of that whole period of time said no, we’re gonna a create future for this business, and that was this man here, Tom Cruise,” McQuarrie said.
On Tuesday, Cruise also made stops in theaters in Washington D.C. and Toronto and in a span of 24 hours, also visited New York City and Miami. Due to the ongoing Writer’s Guild of America strike that started in May 2023, Cruise has had no late night shows on which to promote the movie, but he said during his quick Atlanta visit that he was thrilled to meet fans face to face like this, saying I “definitely dream of moments like this.”
“It’s just beautiful to see you all; I just want you to know it really means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to McQ (Cruise’s nickname for McQuarrie),” he said.
Cruise and McQuarrie lingered for several minutes taking selfies with fans in the audience before the film screening began.
So far, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” looks like it will make a splash with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 97%. Pundits expect the film to open domestically with at least $90 million this weekend with a chance to hit $100 million or more. The movie will officially open in theaters Wednesday with potentially some more surprise visits from Cruise along the way.
AJC reporter Rodney Ho contributed to this report.
