By Florenda Corpuz
TOKYO – Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise returned to the Land of the Rising Sun for the 25th time to celebrate what he called the “culmination” of a franchise three decades in the making, as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” held its Japan premiere on May 6.
L-R: Greg “Tarzan” Davis, Hayley Atwell, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, Simon Pegg and Pom Klementieff (Photo by Din Eugenio)
Around 1,000 fans braved steady rain and lined the red carpet at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Citizen’s Plaza, used for the first time as a film premiere venue, for a three-hour event headlined by Cruise and his co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Greg “Tarzan” Davis, and director Christopher McQuarrie. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike opened the festivities with welcome remarks.
Tom Cruise (Photos by Din Eugenio)
“This film is the culmination of the last 30 years of making this franchise. Everything has led to this,” Cruise said. “I love the people, the beautiful culture. I make these movies for you, and I hope you feel the love right back.”
Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie (Photos by Din Eugenio)
It was Cruise’s first visit to Japan since promoting “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022. For Atwell and Pegg, the red carpet marked a long-awaited opportunity: the “Dead Reckoning” Japan press tour was canceled last year due to the Hollywood strike.
“To start the global press tour here in Japan feels right,” Atwell said. “Your warmth and hospitality has been so touching.”
Hayley Atwell (Photos by Din Eugenio)
Pegg echoed the sentiment, calling the Tokyo stop “a pleasure” and thanking fans “from the bottom of our hearts.” McQuarrie, a longtime Cruise collaborator, added, “We love coming back to Japan.”
Pom Klementieff (Photos by Din Eugenio)
“This is my first time in Japan and I’m having an amazing time. Aisheteru!” Davis told the crowd.
The red carpet ended with Cruise leading a countdown to trigger a dramatic projection mapping display on the twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The trailer lit up the facade, culminating in fireworks and Cruise’s close-up from the film’s poster.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Tom Cruise (Photos by Din Eugenio)
“Will everyone help me ‘light the fuse’?” he asked, drawing cheers from the soaked but energized crowd.
The celebration continued at Toho Cinemas Hibiya, where more than 300 fans attended the premiere screening. A spontaneous standing ovation followed the end credits, with over eight minutes of applause and cheers.
Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell (Photos by Din Eugenio)
After the event, Cruise took to social media to thank his Japanese fans: “What an honor to begin our global tour in Tokyo, my 25th visit to this incredible city. This film is a true culmination of this franchise, and the love shown by audiences tonight was felt by all.”
Greg “Tarzan” Davis and Simon Pegg (Photos by Din Eugenio)
Timed with Japan’s Golden Week holidays, the premiere followed a nationwide light-up event on April 21 that saw five iconic towers, Tokyo Tower, Sapporo TV Tower, Chubu Electric Power Mirai Tower in Nagoya, Kobe Port Tower, and Fukuoka Tower, illuminated simultaneously. Organizers called it a “Mission whirlwind from Japan to the world.”
(Photo courtesy of 2025 Paramount Pictures)
“The Final Reckoning,” a sequel to 2023’s “Dead Reckoning,” follows Ethan Hunt (Cruise) as he confronts a rogue artificial intelligence known as the Entity.
From Tokyo, the cast continued the press tour in Seoul, with upcoming stops in Cannes, London, New York, Mexico, and Texas. The film opens in Japan on May 23, with advance screenings beginning May 17.
