Tom Cruise shuts down reporter’s question at Mission Impossible press event

The star was promoting his latest Mission Impossible movie at a press conference when he became visibly incensed by one journalist’s question.

Tom Cruise has shut down a reporter for asking him about Donald Trump’s controversial film industry tariffs.

The US actor, 62, was visibly unimpressed by a local journalist’s curly question at a press event while promoting his latest Mission: Impossible film, The Final Reckoning, in Seoul.

Cruise’s iconic M:I films – in which he plays special agent Ethan Hunt – are famously shot all over the world, with production for the $US400 million eighth film predominantly based in England, while cast also shot scenes in Italy, Norway and South Africa.

Just days after Mr Trump triggered widespread fears among country leaders last week, signalling plans to impose 100 per cent tariffs on movies shot outside of the US, a reporter for South Korean outlet MBC sought to get Cruise to chime into the narrative, asking “how much of the film was shot overseas?”

The question continued, “We all are aware of the tariffs that President Trump has been imposing on overseas productions and films. So, is this particular movie under that tariff?”

Tom Cruise shut down a reporter's question at a press event in Seoul.

The actor was clearly unhappy with the line of questioning.

A bewildered Cruise was speechless for a few seconds, looking to the translator-moderator before issuing a response off-microphone.

“We’d rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you,” Cruise could be heard saying.

Hollywood productions have in recent years navigated away from Los Angeles – opting to shoot in other countries including England and Australia – due to tax incentives.

Suffice to say, Mr Trump wants Hollywood to become movie heartland again.

US President Donald Trump ruffled feathers when he revealed his movie industry tariff plans last week. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” Mr Trump wrote on social media last week.

“Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States.

“Therefore, I am authorising the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

Cruise attends the Korea Premiere Red Carpet for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images for Paramount

Cruise got a rock star welcome with co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis and director Christopher McQuarrie. Picture: Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images for Paramount

Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, officially hits cinemas May 17.

Its predecessor movie, Dead Reckoning, surprisingly failed to perform at the box office when it came out in 2023, largely due to it being released just weeks before the Barbenheimer phenomenon stole the show.

Final Reckoning was initially billed as the last instalment in the long-running franchise, which launched with its debut film in 1996.

However, Cruise and McQuarrie haven’t shut the door on continuing the film series, which will no doubt be an easier decision if it performs better at the box office this time around.