“[We knew] Ethan was going to perform an amazing stunt combination of motorcycle riding and skydiving,” Garifas says. “I believe the ask was pretty straightforward: we had to ensure that this piece of eyewear was going to perform both on a motorcycle as well as the jump and the freefall while skydiving—and of course he had to look good doing it.”
This process started during the pandemic, so the process included the requisite Zoom calls and a full head scan of Cruise to ensure a perfect fit. A key aspect, says Gibbs, was Oakley’s 3D printing capabilities, which allowed them to quickly craft mock-ups that were then sent to Cruise and Gibbs for trial—shipped out to the various corners of the world in which they were filming. “We did many iterations because we really needed to make sure that there weren’t any unforeseen hiccups,” Garifas said. “We sent multiple versions per week with slight changes to each. Everything was cataloged by serial number so that we could reference the inputs we were receiving from Barry. We had to make sure that we never compromised optics, fit, fogging, and retention at all times. The only template that we used was the user insights—all from Cruise.” After all you do not, one assumes, want to be the person responsible for ruining Tom’s perfect take (or, worse, ending his life).
It all worked out in the end, of course, and we have a series of white-knuckle action sequences to prove it. While Garifas wasn’t given a special preview, he did say he got to meet Cruise, which was a real highlight. “So much intensity and charisma, but this is what we were used to,” he says. “It’s like talking to an athlete. He knew exactly what he wanted, what he didn’t want and why. He really leaned on us for the innovation and creativity while maintaining a great piece of performance that he can rely on in the most tense moments in the filming.”
As for what Oakley has coming up, Garifas hints that a consumer-ready version may hit stores—and that another custom pair is on the way for next year’s Dead Reckoning Part 2.
“Wait to see what we have prepared with Tom on MI8,” Garifas says.
Max Berlinger
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