Mission: Impossible – Reckoning: Director explains why Part 1 ends without a hook

Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell in Mission Impossible 7

Even though Mission: Impossible – Reckoning – Part 1 was split into two parts, director Christopher McQuarrie explained why he and Tom Cruise chose to finish Part 1 without interruption for the second film.

McQuarrie told Total Film about the train action sequence, “Where we ended the movie was always where we were going to end it.” “How we ended the movie was a big, big mystery to us. This kept Tom awake at night during production. He would come all the time and say, ‘It can’t be a thriller, it has to be satisfying.’ The audience needs to feel a sense of closure.

He added: “Tom kept watching that scene, and he was totally worried about whether or not it would lead to a satisfying conclusion or whether it would feel like an open-ended ending. We constantly revise it, constantly refine it.

McQuarrie said he hopes fans return to theaters for Part 2 even after Part 1 ends:

McQuarrie said, “If you end the movie with a cliffhanger, it sounds like we’re hoping you’ll come back.” “We didn’t want that feeling. The feeling we’re looking for – and hope you feel – is that we challenge you not to hold back. We want to leave you thinking, ‘I can’t wait to see what happens next.’

More on Mission: Impossible 7

Mission: Impossible: Reckoning – Part 1 (Mission: Impossible 7) is the new film in the series. For the first time in the franchise, Mission: Impossible will use two films to tell the same story.

Christopher McQuarrie signed on to script and direct both films, thus repeating a successful partnership with Tom Cruise.

The cast also includes the returning Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy), Shea Whigham (Agent Carter) and Vanessa Kirby.

Mission: Impossible – Reckoning – Part 1 is now showing in theaters.