Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the highly anticipated eighth entry in the legendary spy-action franchise. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film continues Ethan Hunt’s globe-trotting saga with Tom Cruise reprising his iconic role. Joining him once again are Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, and more.
This sequel to Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) is set to premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 14, followed by its theatrical release in the United States on May 23, 2025, through Paramount Pictures.
With high-stakes action, jaw-dropping stunts, and exotic backdrops, this installment raises the bar for the franchise. At NetFilming, we’ve explored where the film was shot and what makes each filming location unique.
Where Was Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Filmed?
The film’s epic scope required the production team to travel to many different continents. Here are the main filming locations that made Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning possible.
United Kingdom
Filming in the UK took place in London, Kent, Surrey and Derbyshire, where the roughness of the city met the beauty of the countryside.
- Longcross Studios in Surrey had a lot of scenes inside and underwater on submarines. The studio has state-of-the-art equipment that is perfect for doing stunts that require a lot of precision.
- London: Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, and Big Ben were all used for important outdoor scenes. One of the best parts is the heart-pounding chase under Big Ben.
- Middleton Mine Derbyshire: It was used for scenes in underground tunnels, which added a tense, claustrophobic feeling.
- Historic Dockyard Chatham (Kent): turned into international ports and market sets for spy films.
- The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge: The museum’s grand neoclassical interiors were used for a covert rendezvous scene in the film. Its ornate halls doubled as a European government archive location within the story.
Trivia: London has previously been featured in other spy thrillers like Skyfall, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The King’s Man, making it a go-to spot for sleek, suspenseful drama.
Norway
Norway’s rugged landscapes made a strong visual impact throughout the movie. Filming covered several breathtaking locations:
- Aurland and the Rauma Railway Line: These locations hosted some of the film’s major train and mountain chase sequences. Cruise even performed a motorcycle stunt from Helsetkopen Mountain.
- Svalbard (Arctic Circle): In March 2023, scenes were shot in this icy region for a remote CIA base sequence, with temperatures dropping to -40°C. This set the tone for one of the film’s coldest missions.
Trivia: Norway was also used in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Tenet, making it a favorite for large-scale, high-altitude scenes.
South Africa
The production team headed to South Africa for some of the film’s boldest aerial and wilderness sequences.
- Drakensberg Mountains: These dramatic peaks were the setting for several helicopter and combat scenes.
- Blyde River Canyon and Wild Coast: These landscapes gave depth and texture to mid-air combat stunts and dramatic showdowns.
- Port Edward: Known for its remote coastline, this was used for covert mission scenes.
Trivia: South Africa also served as a backdrop in films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Blood Diamond, thanks to its versatile terrain.
Malta
Malta was the perfect place for a mix of history and coastal drama.
- Scenes were shot in and around Valletta, the capital city with cobblestone streets and buildings from the 16th century. The people who worked on the show made the most of both the land and the sea.
Trivia: Malta is known as a great place to film in the Mediterranean because it has hosted big films like Gladiator, Troy and World War Z.
Italy (Apulia Region)
Filming in Italy made the movie more realistic about naval warfare.
- USS George H.W. Bush Aircraft Carrier: Some scenes were filmed on this U.S. Navy ship while it was docked near the coast of Apulia. The waters and background made the scenes feel more like high-seas espionage.
Trivia: Apulia was also shown in the TV show The White Lotus Season 2 and the movie No Time to Die, which shows how important it is becoming for film tourism.
Budget and Scale
The movie’s complicated global shoot and real-life stunts drove the budget up to almost $400 million, making it one of the most expensive in the series. The story was carefully planned out for each location, and there wasn’t much use of CGI. This stayed true to the Mission: Impossible legacy of using real effects.
Production Timeline
The filming process faced several challenges, including strikes and technical issues, but the team’s global journey resulted in a visually spectacular film.
| Date | Location/Details |
|---|
| March – Dec 2022 | Filming began in UK, Malta, and Norway |
| March 2023 | Arctic scenes filmed in Svalbard, Norway |
| Spring 2023 | Filming moved to South Africa and Italy |
| July 2023 | Filming paused due to SAG-AFTRA strike |
| March – Nov 2024 | Filming resumed; concluded by late 2024 |
| May 2024 | Submarine malfunction caused a brief delay |
Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning Behind The Scenes
Filming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning was as intense behind the camera as it appears on screen. Director Christopher McQuarrie once again teamed up with Tom Cruise to push the limits of practical filmmaking. From sub-zero Arctic shoots to stunt-heavy sequences aboard real aircraft carriers, the production team prioritized authenticity over convenience.
The team spent nearly three years coordinating the global shoot. McQuarrie revealed in an interview, “We didn’t just want exotic locations. Every place we filmed had to serve the story and challenge the characters in a real, physical way.”
Cruise, who is known for performing his own stunts, executed a motorcycle jump off a cliff at Norway’s Helsetkopen Mountain, describing it as “the most dangerous thing we’ve ever attempted.” He trained for months and did over 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps to prepare.
Producer Jake Myers added, “This wasn’t just a movie. It was a massive logistical challenge with hundreds of moving parts — across multiple continents and weather extremes.”
Despite interruptions, including the SAG-AFTRA strike and a technical issue with the submarine set, the team stayed committed to delivering the franchise’s most ambitious chapter yet.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Official Trailer
Stay tuned to NetFilming for more filming location breakdowns, production updates, and behind-the-scenes insights into your favorite movies and shows.
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