Tom Cruise Worked Out 6 Months to Wear 1 Movie Costume
Tom Cruise is the king of the summer with Top Gun: Maverick. No matter what movie he’s in, Cruise gives it his all. For another summer action movie, Cruise spent six months working out just to wear the costume.
Edge of Tomorrow is now on 4K UHD, where the film’s military fatigue tint conveys realism in the sci-fi alien battle. You’ll also hear a full surround sound environment with whirring, bullets and explosions in the background. In the bonus features from the film’s 2014 release, Cruise, director Doug Liman, and co-star Emily Blunt reveal the rigors of the film’s costumes.
Tom Cruise worked out even harder to wear ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ exosuits
In Edge of Tomorrow, soldiers of the future wear metal exosuits to even the odds against alien invaders. Even the costumes required a lot of the actors.
“The suit itself weighed anywhere from 85 to 120 lbs. depending on the armor,” Cruise said.
Cruise maintains physical fitness for all his movies, but Edge of Tomorrow required special training. Liman explained.
“Tom and the actors really had to start working out in July for a shoot that started in October to physically be strong enough to wear one of these suits all day,” Liman said.
When it came time to film, Stunt Coordinator Simon Crane confirmed that Cruise wore the suit for hours.
“Tom wouldn’t take the suits off for like 6 hours a day,” Crane said. “So he’s walking around with the suits on his back all day, every day. That’s perseverance.”
Tom Cruise helped work out the exosuits too
The crew of Edge of Tomorrow built suits that Cruise and the cast could wear on the film’s battlefield. Cruise attended early tests to help figure out what the suits could accomplish.
“I showed up a couple months early to really RnD the suit,” Cruise said. “What we did was I put the suit on and we were working with it and also getting into what the tone is. I know you have to see a progression of my character from where he starts in the exosuit to where he ends. But you also have to find out what is the composition of the suit, the silhouette of the suit.”
Producer Jeffrey Silver said Cruise also challenged his co-stars and the crew to put on the exosuit as fast as possible. Silver said Cruise could do it in 37 seconds.
“Literally I started with stopwatches a couple of months beforehand as we were doing it and I just started timing them,” Cruise said. “Then all the guys, they worked out a system how to get us all in and out of these suits quickly. And I kind of worked with the stunt guys on what the training program would be for the actors and how to gradually get them into the pressure they’re going to be under.”
Emily Blunt had to train for ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ too
Despite resisting co-starring in a Cruise movie, Blunt plays Rita, the veteran warrior upon whom Cage (Cruise) depends for guidance. She shared the experience of strapping into the exosuit.
“I don’t think anything quite prepares you for the sheer weight of the suit,” Blunt said. “It feels like you’re being strapped into a coffin that you’re carrying around on your back, and then you get used to it and then you start to really feel the power of the suit.”
In real life, the exosuits were not mechanical or projectile-ready. The actors performed as if they were and movie magic took care of the rest.
“These suits are supposed to make us fight harder and faster and that’s the whole illusion,” Blunt said. “So there’s something really empowering about it.”
