Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 are no longer filming back-to-back

Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 will no longer film back-to-back, according to Deadline. 

Leading man Tom Cruise (AKA Ethan Hunt) is needed on promotional duties for Top Gun: Maverick ahead of that film’s planned release on July 2 – filming for M:I 8 should be able to get underway once that's over, though.

Alongside Cruise, Mission: Impossible 7 will see Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Angela Bassett reprise their roles from previous movies in the series. Captain America: The First Avenger star Hayley Atwell is joining the franchise in an undisclosed role. 

According to an Instagram post from director Christopher McQuarrie, filming has now wrapped in Abu Dhabi and the team is now heading back to London to apply a few "finishing touches" to the movie.

The movie's shoot has seen the cast travel from Norway to Italy to the UAE – quite the feat in the middle of a global pandemic. According to the sneak peek we've had from set photos, it looks like we can expect the usual jaw-dropping stunts from the newest installment in the action franchise. Cruise has been spotted speeding through Rome while handcuffed to Atwell and on top of a speeding train, to name just two glimpses behind the scenes.

Mission: Impossible 7 is due for release on November 19, 2021, delayed a few months from its original July release date, while Mission: Impossible 8 is currently planned for November 4, 2022.

While we wait for Mission: Impossible 7 (and 8), make sure you've caught up with the best movies of 2020.