Production on the seventh “Mission: Impossible” film has been halted due to growing concerns about the coronavirus.
“Mission: Impossible 7″ had been scheduled to shoot for three weeks in Venice. More than 200 people have tested positive for the virus in Italy, the largest number outside Asia. While most of those cases are in the neighboring Lombardy region, authorities said three people in Venice have tested positive for the virus.
Paramount released a statement to several outlets including Variety, explaining that the delay comes “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 …”
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The statement explains that the stint in Venice was the “scheduled first leg of an extensive production” on the film.
Tom Cruise scaled the world’s tallest building in the movie “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” New technologies seek to make that fiction a reality.
(Paramount Pictures)
Paramount stated that they will continue to work with government officials to monitor the situation.
The seventh film in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise was originally set for a July 2021 release, which could change following the delay. The film will star feature Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and more.
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Paramount also on Monday postponed the Chinese release of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” which had been set for Friday. Cinemas in China have been shuttered due to the outbreak, closing down the world’s second-largest box office market.
Tom Cruise in a scene from “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” the previous film in the franchise. (Chiabella James/Paramount Pictures and Skydance via AP)
Last week, the James Bond film “No Time to Die” canceled its planned Beijing premiere and promotional tour. The film is to open in Britain on April 2 and in North America on April 10.
Disney’s anticipated live-action “Mulan” remake is also set to open worldwide soon, with a particular focus on China. It’s due to open there on March 27.
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Reps for Paramount did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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