Tom Cruise's daredevil "Mission: Impossible" stunts are so cool, it's hard to believe that anything gets left on the cutting-room floor.
But editing is important to the filmmaking process, and director Christopher McQuarrie had hard decisions to make in crafting "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" (available to buy Aug. 19 on digital platforms).
One of the biggest moments in the action adventure is a dizzying sequence involving Cruise's superspy Ethan Hunt and a harrowing biplane chase, and USA TODAY is exclusively premiering a nifty aerial scene deleted from the film.
Near the end of this eighth "Mission" installment, Ethan is in airborne pursuit of villainous Gabriel (Esai Morales), and has to navigate – in death-defying manner – going from his biplane to Gabriel's mid-air. McQuarrie filmed 400 hours of footage that ended up being distilled down to a mere 15 minutes.
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