After a brief recess from filming for the Christmas holiday in the US, Tom Cruise is back in the UK and set to return to production on the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7. The actor made headlines in recent weeks after a verbal tirade he unleased on the set was revealed publicly, one wherein he chastised crew members of the sequel for seemingly not adhering to the COVID-19 safety guidelines that were in place. Cruise was apparently right to be upset though as Variety reports that Mission: Impossible 7 is moving from one production to studio to another, and it’s all due to rising COVID-19 cases.
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The UK arm of production on Mission: Impossible 7 was originally set up at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which previously was home to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country and further restrictions by the UK government, Mission: Impossible 7 will shift will be shifting its production home 27 miles south to Longcross Studios. Longcross Studios was previously home to upcoming films like Death on the Nile and The King’s Man, plus recent hits like Aladdin and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The trade reports that Mission: Impossible 7 is “expected” to complete its principal photography at Longcross.
Longcross finds itself under “Tier 4” classification by the British government, which means it has the highest level of restrictions imposed upon it. This means production is allowed to continue but even more restrictions will be placed upon it.
Mission: Impossible 7 has had production delayed by COVID-19 more than once at this point, having had production stopped in the early part of the year along with every other film and TV show in the world. After restarting in the summer, filming was paused in October after crew members in Italy tested positive for coronavirus.
“We want the gold standard,” Cruise was recording saying in a leaked video from the set. “They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we’re doing! I’m on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers.I don’t ever want to see it again, ever! And if you don’t do it you’re fired, if I see you do it again you’re f***ing gone.”
Five crew members reportedly quit the film after Cruise’s outburst.
