Dallas Moviegoers Might Get To Meet Tom Cruise Soon

Early this morning, Tom Cruise announced on Instagram that he will be traveling to Texas on Thursday, May 22, to mark the release of Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning.

Cruise says he will begin his tour of the Lone Star State in San Antonio, visiting Fort Sam Houston and other local theaters before hopping on a plane to Dallas to surprise moviegoers at screenings.

Catching him will require a little luck and dedication, though. The Golden Globe winner will definitely be flying to San Antonio on May 22, but it is unclear when exactly he will arrive in Dallas. He also did not mention any specific theaters he would be hitting up, so, in theory, any screening of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning that happens late Thursday — or maybe even early Friday, May 23 — could begin with a surprise appearance from the film’s star.

The Final Reckoning serves as a sequel to 2023’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, which ended on a cliffhanger as Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his comrades searched for a way to destroy their most dangerous enemy yet: rampant AI. That film, which received solid reviews from critics, suffered at the box office because it had the misfortune of releasing one week before Barbie and Oppenheimer, which dominated multiplexes (and the cultural conversation around movies) for months.

While Dead Reckoning was no flop, it was the lowest-grossing Mission: Impossible movie domestically and globally since 2006’s Mission: Impossible III. It makes sense that Cruise is pulling out all the stops to make sure its follow-up (which may serve as his character’s swan song) is a smash hit, with all the excitement he can generate around its release.

In addition to seeing fans and celebrating the release of his eighth Mission: Impossible movie, Cruise says chowing down on “some delicious barbecue” is on his agenda when he hits North Texas. If this is true, and Tom Cruise is willing to eat something that was not scientifically engineered to help him maintain peak physical performance, he has plenty of excellent outposts to choose from.

Terry Black’s (which we named Best Barbecue Restaurant of 2024) is a staple of the local barbecue scene and has some of the best name recognition across the Lone Star State. If he wants to get more adventurous, we recently shouted out Hurtado Barbecue for opening a location in Dallas. And then, of course, it is hard to imagine a more quintessentially Texas barbecue experience than standing in line at Hutchins BBQ to chow down on some Texas Twinkies.

Wherever he chooses to go, Cruise’s sight for Dallas is yet another example of the city’s rising profile in the entertainment industry.

The North Texas market is now one of six areas in the U.S. where films can screen to meet the eligibility requirements for the Oscars. The Dallas International Film Festival's awards can fast-track films for Oscar consideration, and writer/director Taylor Sheridan has helped bring renewed attention to the area by filming multiple of his shows for Paramount+. And with Texas currently considering a massive $2.5 billion incentive package for the film industry, there is a rising chance that we will see even more production (and promotion) for films here.

So, Dallas — your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to buy tickets for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning for a chance to meet Tom Cruise. Good luck, Godspeed, and we’ll see you at the movies.