Tom Cruise is "fuming" after filming for "Mission: Impossible 7" was put on hold again following positive COVID-19 tests among crew members.
"Tom is absolutely fuming about what’s happened, especially given his rant to his staff last year," a source told The Sun.
The actor made headlines last year after trying to enforce strict safety protocols and infamously blowing up at colleagues for violating social distancing rules. In leaked audio, Cruise swears at the crew and then threatens to have them fired. Days later, several staffers quit after he had a second meltdown.
Earlier this week it emerged that production for the film was shut down after crew members tested positive for COVID-19. It has not officially been confirmed exactly how many people have contracted the virus. A Paramount spokesperson said in a statement that production had been halted until June 14 "due to positive coronavirus test results during routine testing," according to Fox News.
However, The Sun, citing sources, reported that at least 10 crew members have tested positive. Insiders further allege that Cruise was "within a couple of meters" from four female dancers while filming a nightclub scene. He has been in self-isolation since Tuesday.
Production on the film had to be stopped twice this year — once at the start of the pandemic and then again in October after several crew members tested positive for COVID-19. Cruise has helped implement safety protocols to ensure the safety of his workers and reportedly paid "huge sums" of money for two robots to monitor the safety of cast and crew by ensuring they adhered to COVID-19 safety mandates, according to The Sun.
"Tom is so serious about making sure the shoot isn’t shut down that he’s splashed out on these robots as he can’t be everywhere to ensure people are behaving themselves," a source told the outlet. "Yes, the rant that came out last month may have been a bit over the top, but he was right, and those who saw the story sympathized with him."
Another insider speaking with People explained that Cruise's meltdown was due to pressure to keep everyone on set safe.
"It's hard to [describe] how incredibly intense and focused he is on making every movie the absolute best possible," the source said. "The 'Mission: Impossible' movies are very special to him. They are 'his' movies. Tom helped set up the COVID protocol. Of course he takes it personally when the protocol is broken."
The insider explained that, in all the years of filming the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, Cruise has never raised his voice.
"He is usually just laser-focused on filming," the source said. "This movie is very different though. He has to film while making sure everyone stays safe."
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Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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