With the number of cases of the coronavirus rising to a reported amount of 291 in Italy, the Venice, Italy local government has ceased all public gatherings including a stop to the upcoming production of director Christopher McQuarrie's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7, starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby, among others. The 291 count is the largest report of cases outside of China, Japan, and South Korea.
Before set up on the Mission: Impossible sequel was halted, crew members were scheduled to establish production in three weeks time. According to Anthony D'Alessandro of Deadline, it's believed that production will likely move the entire crew to another place, or to their home countries until they get a better sense of the continuing situation.
Paramount issued an official statement about the matter this Monday afternoon:
“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.”
As details for this story were being brought to light, tabloid papers began reporting that Tom Cruise was quarantined to a posh hotel after filming was shut down. These reports have since been proven false, as Cruise has yet to set foot in Italy prior to shooting the Impossible sequel.
As concern for the citizens of Italy continue to grow, Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Region, has issued a closing for all schools and museums, as well as all cultural, sports, and public events. Even the Venice carnival has ceased operations until further notice. Should the coronavirus continue to spread, it will likely mean more production shut-downs for film and TV productions until a solution can be established and distributed among those infected.
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