Filming for the seventh installment of ‘Mission Impossible’, an action film starring Tom Cruise, has been suspended in Italy over coronavirus fears.
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There has been public disquiet ever since the disease broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan with about 2,663 death recorded so far and 77,658 people infected.
Cruise and the rest of the film crew had been scheduled to film a number of scenes for the forthcoming blockbuster movie in Venice within a space of three weeks.
Paramount Pictures, a US-based studio presiding over the project, however, announced that it will halt the production process due to health and safety considerations.
“During this hiatus, we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts,” the company explained in a press statement.
“We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.”
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The UK Sun quoted a source in the production crew as saying that the team was “frightened” as the death toll in Italy reached seven, convincing them that “there’s a serious risk in the area.”
“There have been meetings with officials but they’re clear that there is a serious risk in the area, especially where large numbers are gathered and this is a huge set,” the source was quoted to have said.
“Halting is extremely expensive but there’s no way anybody involved would take the risk of staying put. The withdrawal is underway, starting with some big names taking private jets out quickly.”
