Filming for Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 moved to UK after coronavirus devastates Italy
HOLLYWOOD action hero Tom Cruise will not return to filming in Italy amid the mounting coronavirus outbreak after shooting for the Mission: Impossible was cancelled in the area – forcing bosses to build a vast Italian city set in the UK.
The Sun revealed how production had been forced to shut down after the crew arrived in Venice last month to begin work on the seventh instalment of the blockbuster franchise, with Tom and his colleagues hastily returning to the UK for their own safety.
The team had planned to film opening sequences in the northern tourist hotspot before travelling to Rome for further scenes.
But after cases of the virus in the region continued to rocket studio chiefs have opted for drastic action to avoid derailing the film entirely, and will now construct a mammoth replica at Longcross Studios in Surrey.
Among the vast landmarks being built at the huge site are the iconic Spanish Steps of the Italian capital, 136 steps dominated by the Trinita dei Monti church at the top.
A source said: “The delays have already had massive implications – not just for this film, but for the whole industry.
“There are literally hundreds of crew and some of the world’s biggest stars including Tom Cruise on standby waiting to get started, and it’s simply infeasible to delay it indefinitely.
“But it goes without saying nobody is going to risk sending a large crew back to Italy at the moment or for the foreseeable, so they’ve had to come up with a contingency to keep things moving.
“It will cost a fortune, but it’s cheaper than having everyone wait around for months and months and it may save the film.”
The Sun told previously how bosses evacuated the team as quickly as possible after meeting with officials and being told a restart was unlikely for some time.
Staff at the large set are understood to have become increasingly concerned for their safety as bosses began the withdrawal from the site.
Tom is due to reprise his role as agent Ethan Hunt alongside glamorous leading lady Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust.
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Christopher McQuarrie will direct the movie after previously helming previous instalments Rogue Nation and Fallout, with a scheduled release date of July 23 next year.
A statement from studio Paramount at the time confirmed: “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for ‘Mission: Impossible 7’.
“During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.”
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