Tom Cruise honours 'Top Gun' co-star Val Kilmer at CinemaCon

Making a grand return to CinemaCon Tom Cruise lit up the stage at Caesars Palacersquos Colosseum which marked his first appearance postpandemic This time he brought with him an exclusive first look at Mission Impossible ndash The Final Reckoning the epic conclusion to the franchise that has redefined action cinema for nearly three decades marking a thrilling moment for fans and industry insiders alikeDirected by Christopher McQuarrie Mission Impossible ndash The Final Reckoning marks the epic conclusion to the franchise that began nearly three decades ago The film picks up after Dead Reckoning where Ethan Hunt faces a rogue AI known as The EntityOn stage Cruise praised McQuarrie recalling how he had secretly brought him in to refine Mission Impossible ndash Ghost Protocol without informing the team ldquoHersquos the hero of that film and put Skydance on the maprdquo Cruise remarked He continued ldquoBecause of Christopher McQuarrie we delivered Top Gun Maverick and two Mission Impossible films during pandemic shutdowns and strikes Yoursquore a modernday Thalberg and an asset to every studio you serverdquo Cruise then honoured McQuarrie with CinemaConrsquos Director of the Year AwardCruise honours late actor Val KilmerCruise asked the crowd of exhibitors to join him in a moment of silence for KilmerldquoIrsquod like to honor a dear friend of mine Val Kilmerrdquo Cruise said from the stage at Caesars Palace ldquoI canrsquot tell you how much I admire his work how grateful and honored I was when he joined lsquoTop Gunrsquo and came back later for lsquoTop Gun Maverickrsquo I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with himrdquoCruise concluded the touching moment by saying ldquoI wish you well on the next journeyrdquoCruise and Kilmer played rival fighter pilots Maverick and Iceman in the 1986rsquos Top Gun in which they played rival fighter pilots Maverick and Iceman who eventually became friends at the US Navyrsquos Fighter Weapons SchoolAs he introduced the trailer Cruise expressed gratitude to former Mission Impossible producer Paula Wagner exParamount chief Sherry Lansing and all directors who contributed to the franchise including Brian De Palma Brad Bird JJ Abrams and John WooMission Impossible 8 trailerThe trailer of Mission Impossible 8 itself promises highoctane action with Henry Czernyrsquos Kittridge ominously stating ldquoIf we want to bring the world back to the brink we have to deal with himrdquo It features Cruise performing jawdropping stunts including crawling on a flying biplane and jumping off an aircraft carrier Nuclear missiles are also in play raising the stakes like never beforeWith a powerhouse ensemble including Hayley Atwell Ving Rhames Simon Pegg Esai Morales Pom Klementieff and Angela Bassett Mission Impossible ndash The Final Reckoning promises an electrifying tribute to Ethan Huntrsquos legacyMark your calendars for May 23 2025 in English Hindi Tamil and Telegu in 4Dx and IMAX and to step into a world where lives choices and missions collide