Veteran actor Harrison Ford is back on the big screen for his fifth and final adventure in the role of Indiana Jones, and Tom Cruise is here for it. Ford, who is set to turn 81 later this month, stars in the new film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. On Monday, Cruise celebrated his 61st birthday at the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. While speaking at the event with the Sydney Morning Herald, Cruise praised Ford for how the legendary actor has still got it at 80 years old, going on to note how he hopes to similarly be making sequels to his films when he’s that age.
“Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him,” as Cruise says. “I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”
After Top Gun: Maverick brought audiences to the theater en masse last year, Cruise is hoping to do the same with his Mission: Impossible sequel. The actor recalls how he grew up with a love of going to the theater and he makes his films with the idea of premiering them only in cinemas. He’s also throwing his support behind other big summer releases, revealing his plans to watch both Oppenheimer and Barbie.
“I grew up seeing movies on the big screen. That’s how I make them, and I like that experience; it’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important,” Cruise says. “I still go to the movies… I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday.”
Harrison Ford Delivers One Last Indiana Jones Adventure at Age 80
It’s clear that Cruise doesn’t want to slow down anytime soon, hoping to be just as active for at least another 20 years. As for Ford, even though he’s done as Indiana Jones, with Dial of Destiny serving as his final film in that series, Ford isn’t finished as an actor. The Star Wars legend recently addressed the possibility of retirement in a Variety interview and said he has no plans to call it quits anytime in the near future.
“I don’t [plan to retire],” said Ford, who turns 81 on July 13th. “I don’t do well when I don’t have work. I love to work. I love to feel useful. It’s my jones. I want to be helpful.”
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now playing in theaters. If you want to be like Tom Cruise and watch both Oppenheimer and Barbie, they’ll be released in theaters on July 21, 2023. That will follow the release of Cruise’s newest movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which drops on July 10. The sequel, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, is scheduled to follow on June 28, 2024.