Tom Cruise, the star of the film, last night opened the Dubai International Film Festival in a dramatic red carpet appearance in front of hundreds of fans and media.
The Hollywood actor, who was joined by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, spent more than an hour on the red carpet, greeting fans and signing autographs.
Cruise had previously said Dubai’s profile as a movie destination had already soared in the wake of its role in Mission Impossible. The city provided a backdrop for the action flick, with Cruise performing a series of heart-stopping stunts clinging to the exterior of the 828m Burj Khalifa.
“I know already people have said they want to come here and shoot or make a film,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to shoot here, back from when I was watching the city being built. Many people have asked us about travelling here and what it was like. People are very interested to come here and shoot.”
Speaking about his scenes on the world’s tallest tower, which see Cruise climb the glass-fronted exterior of the building, he said: “I trained for months so I could practice the scenes at the Burj Khalifa. The only thing I was afraid of was falling!”
“It’s one thing seeing it and another thing trying to accomplish that… The first moment, you know I have one little pick here and one little rope. I remember just being there saying ‘this is a moment of truth’,” he said.
“I had to figure out how to fly. I had to figure out how to use my feet as a rudder because you have crosswinds up there. It took a while to work out how not to come slamming into the building head first,” he said.
“I was very excited because I thought it would be very entertaining for an audience and very challenging, and so that’s why I did it.”
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol actors Paula Patton and Simon Pegg have said they would consider other roles and even business ventures in Dubai if the right opportunities arose.
Patton, who stars as spy-girl Jane Carter, and Pegg, who plays computer hacker and spy mate Benji Dunn, said Dubai was an incredible place with a lot of potential.
“Dubai is an incredible place to film. I would jump at the chance to work here again,” said Patton, who also walked the red carpet in Dubai on Wednesday night at the film’s global premiere.
“I would love to [get involved in a business venture here]. The women are so feminine and beautiful and everybody has been such a joy to be with. If an opportunity was to present itself I’d take it. But acting is my personal love.”
[Click here for interviews with the cast of MI:4]
British actor Simon Pegg said he wouldn’t rule out creating his own movie in Dubai if the circumstances were right.
“Yes [I would consider it],” he said. “I’m sure there are loads of stories to tell, it’s an intriguing city, a fascinating place, the mixture of east and west is heartening. It’s a model of integration and cooperation. It would be an interesting place to write about for sure.”
A film with Dubai as a main feature rather than a backdrop, could provide a better plot, he said.
“It would be nice to have a film about the people who live in Dubai, rather than the people who are visiting Dubai. But it’s great to see Dubai on the big screen, it does give you an idea of how extraordinary the place is.”
Pegg said he’d had a fantastic time in Dubai during the movie shoot, with plenty of time to get acquainted with the city.
“I was here for about four weeks and I did about two days shooting,” he said. “I went indoor skiing, go-karting, waterpark. And shopping, a lot of shopping.
The fourth installment of the billion-dollar film franchise Mission Impossible also included three days of filming at Dubai’s luxury Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on the Palm Jumeirah. The property doubles as the luxury Mumbai home of Indian millionaire Brij Nath, played by Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor.
The Dubai International Film Festival runs until Dec 14 and includes screenings of more than 170 movies.
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