The studio behind Mission: Impossible 7 has sued its insurance company for allegedly not covering Covid costs incurred during production delays.

Tom Cruise lashed out to crew members ignoring social distancing rules at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden back in December 2020, over fears that a Covid outbreak would hold up production again.

Filming for Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 restarted at Leavesden July last year under strict coronavirus restrictions. And since, Cruise and members have been spotted filming around the UK.

Production paused for the seventh time June this year, after 14 people tested positive at another film site.

Before the pandemic was officially declared, production in Venice in February 2020 had shut due to illness of a “covered” person, according to Paramount’s lawsuit.

Filming was then reset to begin in Rome the following month, however in the face of the worsening pandemic the Italian government imposed quarantine measures, delaying work on the film.

However, Federal Insurance Company has refused to pay out fully for costs incurred due to the various disruptions, it is alleged.

The lawsuit, filed at a federal court in California, accuses insurer Federal of breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Paramount’s lawyers say the studio was covered for losses exceeding more than 100 million dollars (£73 million) resulting from delays and interruptions during production.

It is claimed that after incurring the “significant losses”, the studio then attempted to recoup its money from Federal.

However, Federal refused, the lawsuit states, and allegedly argued several of Paramount’s losses should be limited to a category of coverage providing only one million dollars (£730,000).

Federal and other insurers were warned for years about the potential risks of a pandemic and should have known it could face hefty pay outs in the event of a global health crisis, it is claimed.

It is said the insurer only paid a “small portion” of Paramount’s losses, “denying coverage for the majority of them” and as a result “breached the parties’ contract”.

The 22-page court filing states: “Federal’s conduct is contemptible and has been done with a conscious disregard of Paramount’s rights, constituting oppression, fraud, and/or malice.”

Paramount is seeking unspecified damages.

Mission: Impossible 7 is set to be released in May 2022.