- "Mission: Impossible 7" has stopped filming in Venice as Italy scrambles to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- In a statement, Paramount Pictures said it was halting its planned three-week shoot in the city out of "an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew."
- Deadline sources say Tom Cruise wasn't yet in the country when the decision to delay production was made.
- At least 229 cases and seven deaths have made Italy the most infected country outside Asia— and at least a dozen towns have been put on lockdown.
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"Mission: Impossible 7" has suspended production in Venice, Italy, which was set to unfold over the course of a three-week shoot.
Fears surrounding the coronavirus, which has spread through Italy faster than any other country west of China, has forced the local government to shut down public gatherings in the city, ranging from sporting events to movie shoots. It's not immediately clear whether this change of plans will affect the movie's expected filming in Rome for the month of March.
Under the working title of "Libra,""Mission: Impossible 7" is set to be the latest in a line of big blockbuster films for the Paramount Pictures franchise.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the latest "Mission: Impossible" film will be shot back-to-back with an eighth installment of the franchise. This would be released theatrically about a year after "Mission: Impossible 7."
Filming was originally set to begin this week.
There have been a series of casting announcements, including the return of Henry Czerny as Kittridge, the IMF boss who hasn't appeared since the first "Mission: Impossible" film 25 years ago. Additionally, the MCU star Hayley Atwell will star in both "Mission Impossible 7" and "Mission Impossible 8."
The "Mission: Impossible 7" filming will not go off without a hitch, however, with Deadline reporting the halt of production in Venice. In a statement, Paramount revealed that the production shift came out of "an abundance of caution," though it's not clear whether there was much of a choice given the government ordinances in Venice.
Paramount's statement also noted that production members were being allowed to return to their homes, suggesting the Venice shoot may be scrapped altogether, as it was planned for only three weeks.
There has also been some confusion about how close the star Tom Cruise was to these production shoots, but Deadline states he was not even in Italy at the time of the suspension.
Cruise does take an active role when it comes to the production of the "Mission: Impossible" films. He's even been training to do dangerous stunts for the coming double movie shoot.
There has been no change thus far to the intended "Mission: Impossible 7" release date of July 23, 2021.
While being a global health issue first and foremost, the coronavirus is beginning to wreak havoc on the entertainment industry.
The premiere of the latest James Bond film, "No Time to Die," was canceled in China because of coronavirus fears. Several other movies have also had their China release dates pushed back indefinitely. The gaming industry has already begun to suffer as well.
With the virus spreading, film productions like that of "Mission: Impossible 7" are now in unexpected danger.
- Read more:
- South Korea is testing 200,000 members of a doomsday church that is the source of more than 60% of its coronavirus cases
- 12 towns in Italy are on coronavirus lockdown after at least 229 cases and 7 deaths made it the most infected country outside Asia
- Trump says the stock market is 'starting to look very good' after the Dow plunged over 1,000 points amid coronavirus fears
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