Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible filming shuts after Covid on set

In December last year, star Tom Cruise lashed out about social distancing concerns on set at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden.

Leaked audio captured the actor hurling profanity and threatening crew members that supposedly broke social distancing rules – as he claimed a lot of responsibility for the wellbeing of staff and continuing production.

Last month, Cruise stood by his actions and added filming was “never shut down again” after the incident.

But now studio Paramount has said that filming in the UK has been halted for two weeks and will resume on June 14.

While the studio did not reveal how many people tested positive, The Sun reports that 14 people from the 60-member crew tested positive.

In a statement obtained by the PA news agency, Paramount said: “We have temporarily halted production on Mission: Impossible 7 until June 14th, due to positive coronavirus test results during routine testing.

“We are following all safety protocols and will continue to monitor the situation.”

Filming has been taking place around the UK (Photo: PA)

Filming has taken place around the UK during the pandemic, mainly in Leavesden, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire and more recently at Longcross Studios in Surrey.

According to a source from The Sun, Cruise is “fuming” over the halt in production.

In the past, production of Mission: Impossible 7 has suffered a number of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Filming was scheduled to begin in Italy in February 2020 but production was halted as coronavirus cases rose in the country.

After a delay, filming restarted at locations including Warner Bros Studios Leavesden.

Then in December, Cruise lashed out at staff who were supposedly not social distancing.

Tom Cruise lashed out at crew members for not social distancing in December (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

The initial dispute happened after Cruise noticed two employees were sat together at a computer screen.

In the leak he threatened: “If I see you do it again, you’re f****** gone. And if anyone in this crew does it, that’s it – and you too and you too.

“And you, don’t you ever f****** do it again.”

During the rant, Cruise appeared to claim a lot of responsibility for the wellbeing of staff and continuing production, as he said: “They’re back in Hollywood making movies right now because of us.

“We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf***ers.”

“I’m on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies,” he shouted. “That’s it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down.”

He continued: “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***ing industry.”

Tom Cruise

While the dispute seemed to come in the best interest for safety of crew members and continuing production, it appears other members didn’t take the reaction well as five members are said to have quit in response.

When speaking to Empire last month, he addressed the rant and said: “There was a lot at stake at that point. But it wasn't my entire crew. I had the crew leave the set, and it was just select people.”

“All those emotions were going through my mind. 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,” he continued.

Mission: Impossible 7 is now scheduled to appear in cinemas in May 2022 after a set of delays in theatrical releases due to Covid-19.