Studio Paramount, director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise have long since abandoned plans to shoot Mission: Impossible 7 back-to-back with the eighth installment, but that hasn’t done anything to stop the latest chapter in the long-running blockbuster franchise gaining a reputation as perhaps the single most tortured production of the pandemic era.
It’s been sixteen months since the first frame of footage was shot, but the cast and crew still aren’t done yet. Throughout that time, the return of Ethan Hunt has touched down in Italy, Poland, Norway and the Middle East, and faced several shutdowns as a result of COVID-19, including the actor’s infamous rant at a couple of crew members caught breaking health and safety protocols.
In April, the final leg of filming began as Mission: Impossible 7 returned to England for a second time, but a couple of weeks ago things ground to a halt again when fourteen positive Coronavirus tests were recorded. However, a new rumor that reportedly hails from someone with inside knowledge of the production potentially lays the blame at Cruise’s door, as you can read below.
“Filming on Mission Impossible 7 is on hold again because of coronavirus. And this time, those working on the production have said they think Tom could be the possible cause of the postponement. Everyone on the set was told that filming was being stopped again because of a positive test. And since then, Tom hasn’t been on set once. Now people are speculating that he could have come into contact with the person who tested positive. And in some cases, people are even gossiping and saying it could be him.”
We should point out that not only is the source of the original story a British tabloid, but it contradicts previous information from exactly the same outlet that posited the leading man was fuming after having to grind Mission: Impossible 7 to a halt once again. It would admittedly be hugely ironic were Cruise to be a close contact given his explosive reactions in the past, but at this stage everyone involved is surely desperate to finally get over the finish line after the constant setbacks to have befallen the espionage actioner over the last year.
