Prince William, Kate Middleton auspicious by absence at major London event

The Prince and Princess of Wales had joined Tom Cruise for the “Top Gun: Maverick” premiere in May 2022.

Ahead of the London premier of "Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning",  some royal fans were hoping that they would get to see Prince William and Kate Middleton with the Hollywood superstar once again.

Although Prince William and Kate Middleton's attendance wasn't expected, some royal fans still hoped to see them at the premiere alongside Tom Cruise.

Cruise reprises the role of agent Ethan Hunt for the eighth time in the latest iteration in the series from director Christopher McQuarrie due to hit U.. theatres on May 23.

Earlier Tom Cruise hit the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on Wednesday to a live band rendition of the "Mission: Impossible" theme song as organisers pulled out all the stops to celebrate what may be the action star's last appearance in the franchise.

Expectations had been high for Cruise's return to Cannes three years after he had presented "Top Gun: Maverick" with a colourful jet flyover. He could be seen mouthing "wow" and "bravo" to the band during the performance.

With a budget of about $400 million, the new "Mission: Impossible" is one of several big-name films that cinema operators are hoping will help them stay on the road to recovery this year, five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.