Washington (AFP)
Production of the next installment "Mission Impossible", starring US actor Tom Cruise, has been halted in Italy due to the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, American media reports have reported.
According to the sites The Wrap and People, scenes from the seventh film in the franchise were to start being filmed for three weeks in Venice.
"For the sake of prudence for the safety and well-being of our stakeholders and our teams, and with the efforts of the local Venetian authorities to stop any grouping of people facing the threat of the coronavirus, we are modifying the production program for our three weeks of filming in Venice, "said a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures in a statement relayed by the two media.
He said Tom Cruise had not yet made the trip to Italy and that the crew members had been given the green light to return home before filming began.
The film is scheduled to be released on July 23, 2021.
Italy announced a seventh death from the coronavirus on Monday. The number of cases of contamination rose from 6 to 229 in four days in the country, which became the first on the European continent to set up a health cordon around ten cities in the North.
In addition to this filming, the progression of the coronavirus in Italy has disrupted several events such as the Venice carnival, Milan fashion week or even football matches, postponed or played behind closed doors.
© 2020 AFP