Paramount has revealed production of the seventh instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise has halted due to the Italian local government putting a stop to all public gatherings as a result of the rising number of cases of the coronavirus.
According to Deadline, production on the Christoper McQuarrie-directed Mission: Impossible 7 would have lasted three-weeks in Venice before moving onto other foreign locations. However, due to concerns about health and safety, European countries are closing their borders and making the status of the production schedule uncertain at this time.
Paramount did release a statement noting they will continue to monitor the situation:
“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.”
Mission: Impossible 7 is set for release on July 23rd 2021, followed by Mission: Impossible 8 on August 25th 2022. Featuring in the cast are returning stars Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Henry Czerny, along with new additions Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Dark Pheonix), Hayley Atwell (Avengers: Endgame), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire).
