Tom Cruise Dedicates Jump Out Of Plane To Top Gun: Maverick Fans: “Thank You For Allowing Us To Entertain You”

Tom Cruise has taken to the air — literally — to thank fans for making Top Gun: Maverick a big hit.

In a video shared on his social media platforms, Cruise is seen jumping out of a plane, but not before thanking fans of Top Gun: Maverick.

“Hey everyone, here we are over stunning South Africa, and we’re filming Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning parts one and two,” Cruise shouts into the camera over the deafening ambient sound of an aircraft whirring. “I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theatres, and thank you for supporting Top Gun: Maverick.”

The camera then pans right to reveal Christopher McQuarrie, the helmer of Dead Reckoning, who reminds Cruise: “Hey, listen, we really have got to roll. We’ve got to get this shot.”

Cruise then jumps out of the plane (with a cameraman following him — you can see his shadow) and continues his speech.

“As always, thank you for allowing us to entertain you,” he says. “It truly is the honour of a lifetime. I’m running out of altitude, so I’ve got to get back to work. We’ve got to get this shot. You have a very safe and happy holiday. We’ll see you at the movies.”

This isn’t the first time Cruise performed a dangerous stunt while making an announcement. In April’s CinemaCon, Cruise introduced the trailer launch and title unveiling of Dead Reckoning in a pre-recorded message of him atop a flying bi-plane.

Top Gun: Maverick is currently the highest-grossing film of the year, earning US$718 million (S$972 mil) at the US box-office and US$1.4 billion worldwide. (A remarkable post-Covid feat, considering it wasn’t released in China, the world’s second-largest film market.) It makes its streaming debut on Paramount+ on Thursday (Dec 22).

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning — Part One opens in cinemas on July 13, with Part Two due in June 2024. Watch the behind-the-scenes featurette here: