Tom Cruise is back, and this time, the demand is so intense it’s rewriting the IMAX playbook in London. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the highly anticipated conclusion to the long-running action franchise, is fast becoming an IMAX phenomenon, a feat that its predecessor, Dead Reckoning, wasn’t able to pull off thanks to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Dead Reckoning had to vacate its IMAX screens in just 10 days thanks to Nolan’s three week exclusive contract with IMAX. In a remarkable turn of events, BFI IMAX which is the biggest screen in the UK has seen overwhelming demand for The Final Reckoning, with most of its screenings already sold out. The response has been so explosive that the theatre has had to schedule additional 9am morning shows — a rarity for the venue — just to accommodate eager audiences.The surge in bookings has also led to an unexpected shuffle in the theatre’s release calendar. Gerard Butler’s How to Train Your Dragon, which was originally slated to debut on June 6 at BFI IMAX, has now been postponed to June 9. This change is to give Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning an extra three days of uninterrupted big-screen domination, capitalizing on its unprecedented pre-release momentum.Industry watchers are already calling this Cruise’s IMAX redemption story, as Dead Reckoning Part One faced tough competition black in 2023 from the double blow of Barbie and Oppenheimer, which collectively monopolized premium large-format screens. This time, with no such heavyweight clash in sight, The Final Reckoning is getting the undivided IMAX attention fans and the studio hoped for.Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film stayed true to its promises of a high-octane, emotional finale to Ethan Hunt’s saga, packed with death-defying stunts and globe-trotting action. With the London IMAX rush setting the tone, The Final Reckoning is on track to become one of the biggest IMAX draws of the year.
