Cruise unleashes 'Mission: Impossible' juggernaut at Cannes

Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" powers into the Cannes film festival for its premiere today on a steamroller of hype.

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With some fans fretting that the $400-million epic -- the eighth in the high-octane franchise -- could be the last, Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have been teasing up the tension by dropping contradictory clues about its future.

Cruise, 62, has also been sharing heart-stopping footage of the stunts he did for the movie on social media, including discussing a freefall jump from a helicopter at 10,000 feet. He is seen jumping from the chopper high over a South African mountain range and putting himself into a high-speed spin with a camera strapped to his stomach.

The blockbuster is set to ramp up adrenaline levels and promises to somewhat lighten the tone at Cannes.

The festival's highly political opening day began with accusations that Hollywood was ignoring "genocide" in Gaza, while the conviction of French screen legend Gerard Depardieu for sexual assault in a Paris court on day one also dampened the mood.