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According to Deadline, Italy has 219 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the largest number outside of China, Japan, and South Korea. Production for Mission: Impossible 7 was slated to begin shooting in Venice, but since the Italian government has basically locked down the country and canceled all major events, movie production was forced to do the same.
Paramount Pictures released a statement voicing their concerns about the safety of their employees, saying:
"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. 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."
While some alternate publications have been reporting that Cruise was in Italy during the outbreak, Deadline has confirmed that Cruise was not in the country when production shut down. With a vaccine reportedly created, hopefully, humanity will be able to contain the coronavirus before it becomes any more than a pandemic.
Check out Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick trailer in the video provided below.