'Mission Impossible 7' filming shut down following coronavirus fears

Filming of the first leg of Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible 7" has been suspended indefinitely due to the concerns of coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

Paramount Pictures had scheduled three weeks of the shooting of the film in Venice, Italy. But, they cancelled the programme quoting "an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew," just days after reports of coronavirus outbreak in the country made it to the headlines, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission: Impossible 7," a spokesperson for Paramount said in a statement on Monday.

The outlet reports that Tom Cruise, who portrays Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt in the American action spy film series, was not present in Italy for the shooting. However, a Mail Online report states that the 57-year-old actor arrived in Venice on Thursday and has been stuck at Hotel Gritti Palace in the city since the filming was suspended.

"During this hiatus, we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves," the studio further added.

In Italy, seven people have died, and over 200 people have been diagnosed with an infection of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus that was first reported in China. The number of coronavirus cases in Italy is the largest outside of Asia. Over 2,663 people have been reported to have lost their lives to the virus in China.

While most of the cases in Italy have been reported from the Lombardy region, three of them have been detected in neighbouring Venice where the shooting was scheduled. The Venetian government has also issued a guideline against public gatherings in an attempt to stop the spread of the communicable disease.

The seventh installment of the "Mission Impossible" series is scheduled for a Friday release on July 23, 2021. It has not yet been ascertained whether the halt in filming will push the release date further.