Naman Shrestha
A sequel to the 2018 ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ and the seventh installment in the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ film series, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is a spy action movie starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, who along with his IMF team, has a new mission at hand, that is, to retrieve a destructive new weapon before it falls on the wrong hands, which is their most dangerous yet seemingly impossible mission yet.
The globe-trotting race against time sees Ethan face some dark forces from his past as well as an all-powerful enemy who forces him to consider if the completion of the mission matters more than the lives of his loved ones. The Christopher McQuarrie directorial unfolds in different picturesque locations as Ethan indulges in a deadly race around the world, making it difficult for the viewers to keep track of all the sites in the backdrop.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Filming Locations
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ was filmed in Norway, England, Italy, and the UAE, specifically in Møre og Romsdal, Birmingham, London, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Cumbria, Rome, Venice, and Abu Dhabi. The original plan was to begin shooting in February 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it got postponed. After months of delay, the principal photography for the Tom Cruise starrer finally commenced in September 2020.
However, the production got halted in late October 2020 when 12 crew members tested positive for COVID-19 on set. Shooting resumed after a week or so and finally got wrapped up in September 2021. Now, without further ado, let’s traverse through all the specific locations where Ethan Hunt gets into various action-packed duels and chases!
Møre og Romsdal, Norway
Several important action sequences for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ were lensed in Møre og Romsdal, including Trollveggen and Hellesylt. The iconic motorcycle jump scene was taped right on the cliff of Helsetkopen. In the meanwhile, the action scenes involving Ethan atop a train were shot in Åndalsnes in the municipality of Rauma. The municipality of Stranda also features in a few scenes of the action movie.
Birmingham, England
The filming unit of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ also set up camp in the city and metropolitan borough in West Midlands, that is, Birmingham. The Grand Central train station in Birmingham doubled as the Abu Dhabi International Airport with the production team shooting some pivotal scenes inside the station in August 2021. The major shopping area of the Bull Ring is also one of the filming sites.
Other Locations in England
For shooting purposes, the director and his team also traveled to other locations across England, including London. Besides that, they constructed an expansive set of a railway line and part of a bridge over the cliff edge in the local Darlton Quarry in Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire where they shot the train wreck scene with a mockup Britannia Class locomotive getting propelled off the cliff.
To shoot the scene with a train going 60 miles an hour through a bridge in the Alps in Switzerland, the filming unit utilized the locales of Levisham in North Yorkshire and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The town of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire and Honister Pass on the B5289 road in Cockermouth, Cumbria are a couple more filming sites that feature in the movie.
Various pivotal portions for the Christopher McQuarrie directorial were also recorded utilizing the facilities of Warner Bros. Studios on Warner Drive, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, and Longcross Film Studios on Chobham Lane, Longcross, Chertsey. While the former is home to 19 sound stages and a massive backlot area of more than 55 acres, Longcross Film Studios consists of eight different sound stages, 200 acres of backlot area, a two-and-a-quarter mile test track, and an off-road course. All these amenities make both of them an ideal choice for different productions.
Rome, Italy
Home to the Colosseum, Rome also served as a temporary campsite for the production team of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ as they lensed several important exterior sequences. The action-packed car chase scene involving Ethan took us through various streets of Italy’s capital city, including Via Nazionale, Via di S. Maria Maggiore, Via dei Serpenti, Via del Traforo, and Via dei Funari. The cast and crew members were also spotted shooting some scenes at various other sites across Rome, such as Spanish Steps on Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, Via Vittorino da Feltre, and Via Tor de’ Conti.
Venice, Italy
The filming unit of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ extensively utilized the locales of another Italian city — Venice. A thrilling car chase scene between Ethan and undesirable adversaries also takes place around St. Mark’s Square, where some scenes involving the Doge’s Palace were shot. The Ponte dei Conzafelzi bridge, Grand Canal, The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice at Campo Santa Maria Del Giglio, 2467, and the outside area of Santa Maria della Salute at Dorsoduro, 1, also feature in the movie. Furthermore, some sequences were recorded around Piscina S. Moise.
Abu Dhabi, UAE
As per reports, in February 2021, the production team of the Tom Cruise starrer traveled to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Apart from taking exterior shots of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, they also recorded some pivotal sequences in and around the Liwa Desert. You might even spot a few skyscrapers in the backdrop of a few shots, including the Burj Mohammed bin Rashid (World Trade Center Abu Dhabi), Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Tower, and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi headquarters.
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