Tom Cruise thrills Toronto audience at ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ screening

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Tom Cruise conquered Toronto’s gridlock traffic Tuesday as he hit Hogtown to surprise a local audience attending a screening of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.

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Following the film’s U.S. premiere Monday night in New York City, the actor headed north as part of a five-city blitz to promote the seventh instalment of his long-running action franchise on its opening day.

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In a video shared by Maurie Sherman from KiSS 92.5’s Roz and Mocha Show, Cruise joked that he was surprised to be in the city. “I didn’t know I was here,” he said grinning as he entered the auditorium.

“Thanks for being here. It’s such a great moment,” Cruise told moviegoers inside Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto as he was joined by writer-director Christopher McQuarrie. “I love you guys. We dream of these moments to make these films for you and for you all to see it this kind of format. I’m so happy to see everybody here. Please enjoy the mix, the music, the picture … We love movies and we love you all.”

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In an interview with eTalk last month, Cruise was given a seemingly impossible mission — “Take on the traffic in Toronto for two hours. Without road rage,” host Sonia Mangat challenged.

“You know what, I have done that challenge, and I have been in that traffic. I’ve made movies in Toronto, I’ve visited Toronto, I have friends in Toronto,” Cruise replied laughing. “What’s up with the traffic in Toronto? Have they figured this out?”

Cruise briefly signed photos for local fans before jetting off to Washington D.C. to surprise moviegoers at the AMC Georgetown. He and McQuarrie also visited Atlanta before ending his day in Miami.

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McQuarrie shared a pic of him and Cruise munching on popcorn to celebrate the completion of their whirlwind five-city Mission tour.

“New York/Toronto/DC/Atlanta/Miami. 24 Hours 5 Cities 1 Mission: Expressing our sincerest gratitude to all of you for coming out and seeing movies — any movies — on the big screen. Thank you.”

In the latest entry entry, Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his team of spies — which includes Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg — go after a world-ending artificial intelligence threat known as the Entity.

His pursuit brings him into conflict with old adversaries played by newcomer Esai Morales and franchise vets Henry Czerny and Vanessa Kirby. Along the way, Hunt finds himself allied with a fast-talking pickpocket (played by Hayley Atwell).

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At the film’s New York premiere, Cruise told Postmedia that he hasn’t tired of the series because he and McQuarrie — who has been with the franchise since writing 2010’s Ghost Protocol — keep coming up with new ways to challenge his hero.

”There’s constant adventures that we can take this character on,” he said.

After Cruise screens each new Mission film, McQuarrie told Postmedia that he famously says, “We can do better.”

But with Dead Reckoning Part Two already deep in production, McQuarrie stopped him before he could finish that sentence this time around.

“At the end of Part One, he turned to me and he was about to say it, and I said, ‘We already did.’ Wait until you see Part Two.”

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing in theatres.

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Twitter: @markhdaniell

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