Ever since the decades-spanning
multimedia spy franchise “Mission: Impossible” was reinvented as a film series by
Paramount in 1996, and tapped movie star Tom Cruise to be its face, the
original cloak-and-dagger sneaky motif with occasional techy gadgets became
more memorable as a high-adrenaline action extravaganza. In six cinematic
releases the theme has not deviated at all. In fact, in a move inspired by New
Line Cinema’s production of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy the production team
was planning to film the seventh and eighth “Mission: Impossible” movies
back-to-back. Unfortunately, plan changes due to COVID-19 have nixed that idea.
Comic Book Resources tells us that the production team for “Mission:
Impossible 7” is no longer planning to commence work on “Mission: Impossible 8”
once the current project goes into post-production for its planned release
later in 2021. This is due of course to how the global COVID pandemic has upset
film industry schedules with mandatory work stoppages to keep cast and crew
safe from infection. Not helping is the fact that the “M:I” films are not the
only works that Paramount Pictures is busying with to get into theaters, and
certainly not the only projects with the studio that Tom Cruise is involved in.
Lest audiences forget, the lead
star is also headlining another plum Paramount movie, “Top Gun: Maverick.” The
COVID crisis has delayed its planned release to this coming June, and to
promote it, Cruise will have to commit to a tour that might take him around the
world. Said promo tour falls into the original timetable for when they would
start principal photography for “M:I8.” Then again, if no other problems arise
once “Maverick” premieres then optimally work on the eighth film can commence,
meaning the gap between production of the seventh and eighth might not be that
big after all, though no longer (strictly) back-to-back.
COVID-19 has proven a formidable
nemesis for the production of “Mission: Impossible7.” The February 20, 2020
start in Venice, Italy was scrapped when the country went into emergency on
account of the epidemic-turned-pandemic. They would not fully start until
September last year, and in October 12 people on production tested
COVID-positive. Other roadblocks to completing the film was a controversy
concerning plans to cause blow up a dilapidated but historical bridge in Poland
as part of an action sequence, only for historians and enthusiasts to
intervene.
“Mission: Impossible 7” is slated
to release on November 19, hopefully after COVID vaccines have started turning
the worldwide situation around. Tom Cruise stars along with longtime costar
Ving Rhames, plus Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales,
Angela Bassett and Hayley Atwell.
Image courtesy of ComingSoon.net
0 comments:
Post a Comment