Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, action movie hero Tom Cruise is set to return to the U.K. this summer to resume the filming of the upcoming and untitled, seventh Mission: Impossible film.
That’s right, nearly four months after the novel coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, intense safety regulations set in place to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are slowly being lifted all across the world — including some in England, which will allow the entertainment industry to ease its way back to normal.
On July 5, the U.K. government officially confirmed that some new exemptions from typical social distancing regulations will allow not only major sporting events to kick off again, but production on films and TV shows as well, starting in August, as reported by the BBC.
In addition to participants in England’s Formula One Silverstone Circuit and multiple soccer and golf leagues, the 58-year-old Top Gun star has been included in these exemptions, according to U.K. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
Dowden, 41, took to Twitter on Sunday sharing a screenshot of a video conference call he participated in with Cruise. In the caption, the politician wrote: “Great to talk to @TomCruise last weekend about getting the cameras rolling again on Mission: Impossible 7,” with the hashtag #Leavesden.
Both the upcoming Mission: Impossible film and a further eighth installment are reportedly being shot at the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, according to the Hollywood Reporter (THR).
“The world’s biggest blockbusters and high-end TV shows are made in Britain. Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries mean that we are an in-demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy,” Dowden said in a statement on Sunday, suggesting that the decisions were made to help boost the nation’s economy.
Among hundreds of other actors and film crew members, Cruise will be required to live and work within a controlled environment while visiting England to help further mitigate the possibility of spreading COVID-19.
“We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again,” Dowden said.
“This is welcome news not just for film lovers but the thousands employed across the screen industries and the sectors it supports,” he added.
As of this writing, the next installment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise is scheduled for a Nov. 19, 2021 release, worldwide.
The film was initially set for a July 23, 2021 release, however, was postponed — along with many other films — as a result of a halt in the entertainment industry brought upon by the global health crisis.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
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