[title]
As you’d expect for a building that’s a million years old and made entirely of gargoyles, Westminster Abbey tends to be incredibly picky about letting film crews in. In the sense that it doesn’t. The last thing you need is a bunch of gaffers and best boys clumping around your Gothic stonework.
Well, thanks to Hollywood’s man-of-the-moment Tom Cruise, that is officially no longer the case. The Mission: Impossible star has pulled a few strings (we suspect he has the almighty on speed dial) and secured access to the abbey for the new Mission: Impossible movie.
Currently filming, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two represents the first time a major film crew has been allowed to shoot inside the Gothic building (Alan Bennett filmed a BBC documentary about the Abbey in the mid-’90s, but he didn’t have a $300 million budget to work with).
‘Tom is really on one at the moment in terms of going bigger and better,’ a source tells The Sun. ‘There are literally no compromises. Nothing but the biggest and the best will do.’
‘So when he wanted to film inside a church for the new Mission film, it had to be Westminster Abbey. They turn down almost every request, so it’s an incredible nod to Tom and to the production team to say yes. It will make an extraordinary filming location and sets the tone for just how big this film is going to be.
There’s no word yet on when the filming will take place or what role the historical edifice will play in the movie. Though it’s probably safe to expect it to be a dialogue scene rather than anything involving, say, heavy weaponry or another cargo plane.
The next in the consistently top-notch franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One lands in cinemas on July 14, 2023, after several Covid-enforced delays. Check out the most recent trailer below.
Expect to see Westminster Abbey’s cameo on June 28, 2024, when Dead Reckoning Part Two lands in cinemas.
Does Tom Cruise already have plans for a Top Gun 3? His ‘Maverick’ co-star says yes.
Westminster Abbey is opening its roof for the first time this summer.