Filming Locations
Rees Valley
Scene: Helicopter chase finale
Near Glenorchy. The valley is on private farmland, visible from the road. Helicopter tours available.
Milford Sound
Scene: Opening sequence
Cruise or fly in. Road open year-round (chains required in winter).
The Story
When Mission: Impossible — Fallout needed a finale that topped everything Tom Cruise had done before, the production flew to Queenstown. The climactic helicopter chase — with Cruise actually piloting one of the helicopters — was shot over the Rees Valley near Glenorchy and the Milford Sound fiord.
The Rees Valley is a vast glacial valley running north from Lake Wakatipu, flanked by the Richardson Mountains. It is normally a quiet farming area, but for several weeks in 2017 it became a film set with multiple helicopters flying formation. The valley floor remains largely unchanged — you can drive the Glenorchy-Paradise Road and stand in exactly the spot where the chase sequence was framed.
Milford Sound appears in the film's opening, with Cruise's Ethan Hunt receiving his mission briefing against the backdrop of Mitre Peak. The scene was shot from a helicopter hovering inside the fiord, a perspective that cruise passengers never see — the sheer scale of the fiord walls from mid-air is something the wide shots barely capture.
Visual Style & Cinematography
Nausea-inducing aerial photography. McQuarrie shot practical helicopter sequences with IMAX cameras bolted to the airframes. The Rees Valley chase uses natural morning light and ultra-wide lenses to keep the valley walls in frame during fast pans.
FrameThrower search queries for this film
Book the Experience
Stand where they stood. These tours take you to the actual filming locations.
Milford Sound Scenic Flight
Fly over the same peaks Tom Cruise flew past in the helicopter chase sequence. Land on a glacier for the full Ethan Hunt experience.
Shotover Canyon Swing
The 109m canyon swing — closest thing to a Mission: Impossible stunt you can legally do in Queenstown.
Helicopter Alpine Landing
Touch down on a mountain peak like the HALO jump scene. Unmatched aerial views of the Southern Alps.
Frame by Frame
Cinematography stills via FrameThrower — the cinematography search engine.
A craggy mountain ridge rises into a foggy, overcast sky with snowy peaks behind. A lone rider on a motorcycle launches into the air off the cliff edge.
A high mountain peak overlooking a lush, deep valley with snow-capped ridges in distance. A man on a motorcycle sits at the very edge of a sheer cliff drop.
A high rocky cliff face overlooks a valley bathed in late afternoon sunlight. A lone climber grips the stone surface while scaling the vertical height.
A man climbs the exterior glass facade of a towering skyscraper from a high perspective. The city infrastructure and road networks are visible far below the climber.
The interior of a helicopter cockpit shows metal framing and grey upholstered seating. A pilot wearing a dark jacket operates the controls while flying over mountainous terrain.
The interior of a helicopter cabin with an open door looking out over mountains. A man sits in the passenger seat wearing tactical gear and looking ahead.
The interior of a helicopter cockpit displays modern flight instruments and large observation windows. The pilot controls the aircraft as it flies over a vast expanse of snow.
A massive vertical cliff wall rises above a deep blue body of water. Two men are anchored to the rock face by a single vertical rope.
A red and white helicopter flies through a clear blue sky. A man hangs from the skid of the moving aircraft.
A person floats through the air using a blue parachute over mountainous landscape. The subject hangs from the harness with arms extended while wearing protective goggles.
A man and woman stand facing each other before a man in a suit. They are on the shore of a vast lake framed by dramatic steep mountain slopes.
A massive industrial aircraft hangar features sliding accordion metal doors and concrete flooring. Two men walk across the tarmac in the foreground while a third figure walks behind.
Common Questions
Was Mission: Impossible — Fallout filmed in Queenstown?
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Yes — the helicopter chase finale was filmed in the Rees Valley near Glenorchy, and the opening scene features Milford Sound. Tom Cruise flew one of the helicopters himself for the sequence.
