Tom Cruise used some of his downtime while filming the latest Mission: Impossible film to take in some tennis at Wimbledon on Saturday. The megastar got an applause break from the crowd and even took a bow.
Producers have closed production on Mission: Impossible 7 multiple times because of the pandemic. The movie is currently filming in London.
Late last year, a recording of Tom Cruise screaming at crew members for not following COVID-19 safety protocols went viral. The Sun got a copy of the recording a published the profanity-fueled rant in December.
“They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing,” Tom Cruise, 58, shouted in the clip. “I’m on the phone with every f—— studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you m—–f——s. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!”
Tom Cruise told the team members that if he sees them “do it again, you’re f—— gone … that’s it.
“No apologies. You can tell it to the people who are losing their f—— homes because our industry is shut down,” he continues. “It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night — the future of this f—–g industry! So I’m sorry, I’m beyond your apologies.”
In May, Tom Cruise stood by his comments in an interview with Empire magazine. He said he believed too many jobs were at stake and too much was on the line to not take every precaution.
“All those emotions were going through my mind,” he said. “I was thinking about the people I work with and my industry. And for the whole crew to know that we’d started rolling on a movie was just a huge relief. It was very emotional, I gotta tell you.”
‘Mission: Impossible’ Halted Filming After Outbreak
Last month, some members of the Mission: Impossible crew tested positive for the coronavirus. Though it’s unclear how many tested positive, it was enough to halt production for a week. This would have cost millions of dollars in lost time.
“We have temporarily halted production on Mission: Impossible 7 until June 14th, due to positive coronavirus test results during routine testing,” a studio spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly. “We are following all safety protocols and will continue to monitor the situation.”
This is at least the second time the movie has shut down because of positive COVID-19 tests. Variety reported that the set was then shut down for a week in October over some positive tests.
The movie is set for a May 27, 2022 release date, but it’s unclear if the work stoppages will have any impact on that date. COVID-19 forced several movies to push back their release dates for a number of reasons.
