'Mission: Impossible' director Christopher McQuarrie calls for stunt category at the Oscars

Stunt performers the world over have long campaigned for their work to be recognised at the Oscars.

Now Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie has thrown his weight behind the talk.

“I can’t think of a film recently that might qualify,” he joked in an interview with Collider, “but, that’s an art, that’s a skill, that’s a craft.

“Those are people risking their lives and doing things that are absolutely and utterly truly amazing and are so much a part of an experience like that.

“Not just in films like [Mission: Impossible]. You go look at Hell or High Water. Lone Survivor. The stunts in that movie were absolutely incredible. In terms of a new category, I think you need to do that.”

Writer-turned-director McQuarrie’s M:I movies (he’s helmed the last two) have been hailed for their complex stunt work, and not merely for Tom Cruise’s willingness to keep putting himself in harm’s way.

However, he recently told Yahoo Movies UK that he has no desire to become ‘the person who kills Tom Cruise’.

“Oh yeah, it’s terrifying,” McQuarrie told us.

“On the one hand, he’s having a great time. The big difference between Tom [Cruise] and Ethan is that Ethan doesn’t want to do any of the things he’s doing, Tom can’t wait to do them. So, on the one hand, I know he’s having a good time.

“On the other hand, I don’t want to be the person who kills Tom Cruise. It’s extremely nerve-wracking. But we have a very good crew, and they’re incredibly professional, we know what we’re doing.”

Read more
Lion King trailer breaks records
Bertolucci dies at 77
Julie Andrews has secret Aquaman role