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Filming was due to have started on Monday in
Venice, where the final two days of the lagoon city's annual
Carnival festival was canceled on Sunday. New coronavirus cases
climbed above 220 on Monday as Italy shut down much of its
wealthy north to curb the disease's spread.
"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," Paramount Pictures, a
unit of ViacomCBS, said in a statement.
The studio said it was allowing the film crew to return home
during the delay and that it would "continue to monitor this
situation" in Italy.
The studio did not say when it now expects production to start.
The 7th installment of the lucrative action movie franchise is
expected to be released in July 2021, with an eighth set for
2022. Cruise will reprise his role as secret agent Ethan Hunt in
both movies with Christopher McQuarrie returning as director.
The "Mission: Impossible" movies are one of the biggest
franchises in Hollywood, with 2018's "Mission:
Impossible-Fallout" taking more than $791 million at the
worldwide box office.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Richard Chang)
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