Tom Cruise’s mission was not impossible when the actor came to Kyiv to scout for film locations on Sept. 30 at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I invited him (Cruise) to Ukraine so he could see for himself how many interesting locations for filming there are in our incredible country: modern urban landscapes, the old city, remnants of the Soviet past, quiet and cozy farms, fantastic picturesque scenery,” Zelensky, a former actor himself, said in a statement published on social media on Oct. 1.
Cruise told Zelensky that he was interested in Ukrainian locations for one of his film projects, according to the Presidential Office.
Hollywood producers have not filmed any mainstream movies in Ukraine in recent years. As an exception, HBO filmed parts of its “Chernobyl” miniseries in Kyiv, where the city posed as the 1980s Moscow. The show has won 10 primetime Emmy awards this year, including for Outstanding Limited Series.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has been in vogue among producers of commercial and music videos, with companies such as Apple and artists such as Miley Cyrus filming their work in the city due to exotic spots and low production costs.
Zelensky told Cruise that Ukraine will be more attractive for big international filmmakers due to the amendments on cash rebates in the Ukrainian legislation, signed by Zelensky on Sept. 23. The bill provides 25-percent reimbursement to foreign companies for the money spent on film production in Ukraine.
“I hope that the law on compensation for foreign filmmakers, adopted recently by the parliament, will truly open the doors of Ukraine for the world cinema. I am sure that this mission is possible!” Zelensky said.
In advance of the meeting with Zelensky, Ukrainians filmed and photographed Cruise in Kyiv’s Zoloti Vorota (Golden Gate) metro station. In one video, Cruise casually passes through a metro’s pay-gate along with other passengers and humbly says “thank you” to the person who let him through.
Video: U.S. actor Tom Cruise passes through a pay-gate at the entrance to the Zoloti Vorota metro station in Kyiv on Sept. 30. (Facebook / Lubomir Levitsky)
Cruise was accompanied by officials from the Presidential Office in the Kyiv metro. In one photo, the actor is standing next to Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s aide.
Cruise is a U.S. actor and film producer best known for his role of spy protagonist in the “Mission: Impossible” film series. Cruise has been nominated for the U.S. Film Academy Oscars Awards three times and won three Golden Globes awards for his leading roles in “Magnolia,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Born on the Fourth of July.”
Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. According to reports, he made $25 million for his role in the fifth film in the “Mission: Impossible” series. Cruise is also among the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time – his movies have grossed over $10.1 billion worldwide.
