“Doing the Impossible…finally in Adelaide!”

Did you know the IMF has a long history of operating on Australian soil? While we wait for the "super finale" in Adelaide, let’s take a look back at how the Mission: Impossible franchise turned our backyard into a global playground for spies.

From the Small Screen to the Big Screen

In 1988, a Hollywood screenwriters' strike unexpectedly brought Peter Graves (the legendary Jim Phelps) and the revived MI team to Australia. The series cleverly transformed our familiar landmarks into "exotic" locales:

•    Brisbane doubled for the streets of London.

•    The Gold Coast Hinterland stood in for the African Savannah and the rugged terrain of Turkey.

•    Melbourne provided the backdrop for various sophisticated European cities.

Are you a true Impossible aficionado? If you look closely at the 1988–1990 episodes, the "clues" are everywhere. Did you spot a stray Aussie street sign or a familiar-looking building?

The big screen followed suit when Tom Cruise brought the blockbuster franchise to Sydney. These films featured a high-octane motorcycle chase at La Perouse, a virus lab hidden in Governor Phillip Tower, and the climactic finale at the Sydney Opera House and Argyle Cut in The Rocks.

No mission is complete without the music. The franchise’s evolution is perfectly captured in its score—shifting from the sophisticated, "chess player" tactical vibe reflected in Argentine-born jazz pianist-composer Lalo Schifrin’s 1960s big band arrangement to the massive, cinematic modern orchestral soundscapes of the Cruise era. Hit the links to check these recordings out (good headphones recommended, earbuds at a minimum)!

Keep your ears open for these musical Easter eggs:

•    The Hidden Code: The core bass-line isn’t just catchy; it’s a repeated "dash-dash-dot-dot"—the Morse code for M-I.

•    The 5/4 Challenge: Schifrin famously wrote the theme in an "undanceable" 5/4 time signature. When asked why, he jokingly claimed it was a written with "five-legged aliens" in mind!

Meanwhile...the mad scientist is plotting, the world is at stake, and the music is cranking up. Join us for an afternoon of high-stakes music and drama, as we celebrate the agents who could save the world.

Adelaide is the place to be, for the ultimate finale on Sunday 17 May 2026 at 3.30pm!

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