Mission Impossible filming halted over coronavirus fears as Tom Cruise ‘flees’
Tom Cruise 's latest Mission: Impossible movie has been halted over fears that the cast and crew could be hit with coronavirus.
Filming of the seventh movie in the action franchise has been paused in Italy, producers have said.
It was scheduled for a three-week shoot in Venice, but production has now been stopped after more than 200 people tested positive for the virus in Italy.
It is the largest number of confirmed cases of the disease outside Asia.
In a statement, Paramount Pictures said it was following the advice of the Venetian government and using an "abundance of caution" in halting production.
Tom Cruise 'flees Italy over coronavirus fears' on Mission Impossible film set
Nicole Kidman shows off petite figure in bikini as she frolics in the sea make up free
"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," the studio said.
It is understood Hollywood star Tom, 57, was not in Italy for filming, although it's been reported that he fled the country after news of the virus outbreak.
The film industry is facing the prospect of losing hundreds of millions of dollars as it moves to deal with the strain of coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
Paramount has already postponed the Chinese release of its family adventure Sonic The Hedgehog while cinemas across the country – the world's second largest box office market – have been closed.
The Chinese premiere for No Time To Die, the latest James Bond film, has also been cancelled.
And Disney faces a headache over its Mulan remake, which is set for release next month.
If cinemas in China are still closed, Mulan's box office take could suffer a significant blow.
This isn't the first time the Mission: Impossible franchise has faced filming delays.
Top Gun Maverick trailer leaves fans ready for Tom Cruise comeback
In 2017, Tom reportedly broke two bones while performing a stunt on the set of Mission: Impossible 6.
Daredevil Tom is famed for doing his own dangerous and death-defying stunts, but it all got the better of him when he spectacularly crashed into a wall on the set of the sixth movie.
A film insider said at the time: "The injury is worse than was at first feared. Tom did serious damage and will need months to recover.
"He is the film's biggest star and everything revolves around him. The movie's bosses had no choice other than to postpone the filming."
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