The makers of "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" had a very specific requirement of a C17 aircraft for shooting Tom Cruise's death-defying HALO jump and it could only be met by the military of UAE, says CEO of Abu Dhabi's Media Zone Authority Maryam Eid AlMheiri.
The production of "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" in Abu Dhabi is a "significant moment in the development of our media industry and we are extremely proud to have been the staging ground for such a ground-breaking stunt," she says.
Paramount Pictures had this requirement to deliver the first-ever HALO jump (High Altitude, Low Opening) for cinema.
"For the HALO parachute jump, Paramount Pictures required a C17 plane which was used during rehearsals and the shoot. This is a very specific requirement that could only be met by the military. There aren't many places in the world where a C17 military aircraft is available to a producer for three weeks, but we managed to cater for it," AlMheiri told PTI.
"We worked closely with Paramount Pictures, the Armed Forces and other UAE entities from an early stage to intricately plan the jump. The military support was vital as the jump also required intensive training and rehearsals for Tom Cruise," she says.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film also starring Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Vanessa Kirby and Sean Harris, released on July 27.
The production team spent four weeks in Abu Dhabi rehearsing for the HALO jump, which was eventually shot over 12 days.
Cruise jumped a total of 94 times to get the required footage he and McQuarrie planned for, says AlMheiri, who also heads twofour54, which is home to Abu Dhabi's media and entertainment industry.
"It is the first time an actor is seen conducting a HALO jump for the big screen, with Cruise jumping with an extended free fall from 25,000 feet, flying through the air at speeds of up to 200mph," she says.
According to AlMheiri, the "complex logistics of 'Mission: Impossible Fallout' challenged us even further, further cementing our credentials as a world class production hub'."
Abu Dhabi has been the host for some of the biggest Hollywood productions, two among them being "Furious 7" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".
Cruise had shared a behind-the-scenes video of the jump on Twitter in June, elaborating the "high-altitude, low-open" skydiving stunt.
PTI
