Cruise control to guide latest mission

Tom Cruise who recently celebrated his 61st birthday, is set to enthrall Chinese audiences with jaw-dropping stunts in his latest outing, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.

The movie opened across domestic theaters, including IMAX, on Friday, grossing 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) to top the country's box office charts, according to the live tracker Beacon.

As the seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible movie series, a globally renowned franchise known for its thrilling espionage action, the latest film brings back Cruise in his iconic role as Ethan Hunt, the skilled leader of the secretive spy organization, the Impossible Mission Force.

Once again, Hunt is selected to undertake a mission of immense significance — saving the world from imminent peril. However, this time he confronts a powerful adversary that transcends humanity itself. Entity, an advanced and self-aware artificial intelligence, poses an unprecedented challenge to Hunt and his team.

The movie held a premiere in Beijing earlier this week, gathering celebrities including actress-producer Liang Jing and scriptwriter Yu Baimei.

Director Shen Ao, who also attended the premiere, praised the movie for its skillful portrayal of advanced technology as the primary antagonist, adding that he believes it will raise public awareness and encourage further exploration into the future implications of AI in this rapidly changing era.