Mission: Impossible 7 shuts down filming after positive COVID test

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Fallout

(Image credit: Paramount)

Mission: Impossible 7 has encountered another bump in the road – filming in the UK has shut down after at least one positive COVID test result on set.

"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," reads a statement from the production.

This isn't the first time this happened, either. Production ground to a halt back in February and then again in October last year, and an outburst from leading man Tom Cruise circulated online in December after he was recorded shouting at crew members for standing too close together and breaking on-set COVID protocols. Evidently, it's an issue that the actor feels strongly about.

Alongside Cruise, who will return as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, 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. It was also recently announced that Cary Elwes, Rob Delaney, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Charles Parnell had joined the franchise.

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.

An eighth installment is on the cards, too, from Mission: Impossible 7 director Christopher McQuarrie. The filmmaker also helmed 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

If the current setback doesn't cause any further delays, Mission: Impossible 7 (which doesn't have an official title yet) is due to arrive in theaters on May 27, 2022. In the meantime, check out our list of the best Netflix action movies that you can stream right now.

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.