Cruise completes première Mission

Tom Cruise (second left) with Mission: Impossible 2 co-stars Ving Rhames, Thandie Newton and Dougray Scott

Tom Cruise was in high spirits when he arrived for the Hollywood première of his new film Mission: Impossible 2 on Thursday.

The movie superstar sported a huge grin as he turned up with UK co-stars Thandie Newton and Dougray Scott.

Cruise, who plays secret agent Ethan Hunt in the blockbuster sequel, threw his arms around his fellow actors to pose for pictures before going in.

Hanging in there: Tom Cruise in the first Mission Impossible movie

The actor has been described the film as an "action love story" which is completely different to the first picture.

Newton plays an international thief, while Scott, who made his name in the ITV drama series Soldier Soldier, takes the part of Cruise's former colleague who has become his sworn enemy.

Thrill

They were joined at the premiere by Ving Rhames - best known for his portrayal of the gang boss in Pulp Fiction - who resumes his role as a computer genius.

Mission: Impossible 2 was directed by Hong Kong's John Woo and was shot on location in Australia and the US.

Cruise described the thrill of performing almost all his own stunts in the movie, which include hanging off a cliff as a helicopter closes in on him.

He said: "It was fantastic, unbelievably exhilarating. There were places where I had less than the width of a finger to hook on to."

The film opens in the UK on 7 July.