Tom Cruise movies are bigger and better than ever – and this time, he’s almost unrecognisable.
The final trailer for Digger, Cruise’s new movie with Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, has arrived ahead of its theatrical release this fall. But while the actor may be swapping Ethan Hunt’s death-defying stunts for a wildly different character, one thing hasn’t changed: Cruise has spent decades making movies against some seriously spectacular backdrops.
From scaling cliffs above Norway’s fjords and racing through the streets of Paris to flying over California and heading into the Arctic wilderness, some of the best Tom Cruise movies double as serious travel inspiration.
So, with Digger marking his latest big-screen adventure, we’re looking back at 10 Tom Cruise movies that took audiences around the world.
1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
From the streets of Paris to Norway’s spectacular Preikestolen, Fallout turns its globe-trotting action into one seriously impressive travel reel.
Want to see it for yourself? Take a guided hike to Pulpit Rock, the spectacular Norwegian location seen in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Venice, Rome, Abu Dhabi and the mountains of Norway provide the backdrop as Ethan Hunt races around the world on his latest mission.
3. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
Tom Cruise heads to the Arctic for The Final Reckoning, with Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago providing some of the movie’s most dramatic scenery.
4. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
California takes centre stage in Top Gun: Maverick, from San Diego’s coastal scenery to the dramatic landscapes surrounding its aerial sequences.
5. The Last Samurai (2003)
Although set in 19th-century Japan, much of The Last Samurai was filmed in the lush landscapes of New Zealand, alongside scenes shot in Japan.
6. Oblivion (2013)
Iceland’s black-sand beaches, volcanic terrain and otherworldly landscapes make a pretty convincing post-apocalyptic Earth in Oblivion.
7. Knight and Day (2010)
Cruise and Cameron Diaz race from Massachusetts to Austria and Spain, with Seville providing one of the movie’s most memorable backdrops.
8. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Sydney gets the blockbuster treatment in Mission: Impossible II, with its harbour, city streets and surrounding coastline appearing throughout the action.
9. American Made (2017)
Colombia provides the tropical backdrop for parts of American Made, which follows pilot Barry Seal on increasingly dangerous flights across Latin America.
10. Cocktail (1988)
Long before Ethan Hunt was racing around the world, Cruise was serving cocktails against the beaches and turquoise waters of Jamaica.
With Digger now marking the next chapter in Tom’s big-screen career, it’s clear his movies have taken audiences to just about every corner of the globe. Whether it’s the mountains of Norway, the beaches of Jamaica or the wild landscapes of Iceland, these Tom Cruise movies offer plenty of inspiration for your own adventure – preferably without the death-defying stunts.