Tom Cruise Is First Actor to Perform an Actual HALO Jump, Remains a Badass

Cruise is well known for the fact that he insists on performing his own stunts, even when they end up putting him in the hospital. He believes viewers’ experience is enhanced by having the leading man carry the action on his own, without relying too much on CGI or the work of stuntmen and stand-ins. That’s not to say that the “MI” movies include neither, but you get the point.

For the upcoming installment, “Fallout,” out in theaters this July, Cruise dared to push the envelope even more, by preparing and – most importantly – successfully carrying out a HALO jump. This is a military technique that stands for High Altitude, Low Open and it was as difficult to plan and capture on film as you can imagine.

Paramount Pictures released the video for the stunt over the weekend, highlighting the kind of work and dedication that went into making it happen. Cruise and a fearless crew prepared for months in advance for it, first rehearsing the scene over a wind tunnel. Then, when they got up in the air, they did as many as 10 takes a day – meaning, 10 actual jumps a day –, before they got to a small, 3-minute window when they could film the scene. This was necessary because the scene took place at sunset.

For everything to go smoothly during the 25,000-feet jump, Cruise wore a custom-made oxygen mask that is also shown in the movie, and made sure to stick to the choreography that prevented air collisions with the camera guy. The result was nothing short of breathtaking, topping previous record-setting stunts like climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and hanging off a military plane as it flew high over England.