The latest Mission Impossible blockbuster - which has North Yorkshire connections - has been welcomed as a boost for the struggling cinema industry by the 112 year old Ritz in Thirsk.

Volunteer Marc Davies was on a long distance run across the North York Moors when he discovered shooting for Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One near the moors railway at Farwath, close to Levisham, in April 2021.

He explained: “I stopped to ask what was going on but was told there was naturally a veil of secrecy over a movie shoot. After a bit of chat about our lovely cinema and the fact we've been linked with a few films I teased out that it was 'Mission: Impossible', to be honest I thought it was a wind up and continued on my way.

"Later at home I discovered it was all over social media, so found it was true that Tom Cruise was actually there then and shooting a scene that day.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The Ritz Cinema in Thirsk

"At the time, through further investigation, I discovered that train spotters had noticed an unusual engine, not steam, had been delivered to the railway and further digging revealed it was to be used for the filming. The extent to which these details are involved in the film we will discover on the big screen.

“I do know a fight atop a steam train was filmed there and that the mock up life size steam train then moves to Stoney Middleton in Derbyshire where it comes to its end on a deliberately half built bridge over a quarry. No CGI there then. Naturally North Yorkshire and Derbyshire are somewhere completely different in the finished film, Norway I believe."

He adds: This is definitely one movie that has to be seen on the big screen. Support the beleaguered cinema industry by enjoying a great night out and see it where it should be seen - the cinema."

The film is being show at The Ritz from Friday, July 28 to Thursday, August 3.