'Mission: Impossible 7' and '8' No Longer Shooting Back-to-Back

Mission: Impossible 8 is no longer on track to film immediately following Mission: Impossible 7, which is currently wrapping up production after a truly unique pandemic-era shoot. According to Deadline, Paramount has reportedly changed the filming schedule for the eighth edition of the Tom Cruise-starring franchise.

Sources told the publication that the move results from the "shifting release calendar" because Cruise will be needed for promotional duties for Top Gun: Maverick ahead of that film's July 2 release, meaning he won't be available for some time. Once the Top Gun sequel is out, production on Mission: Impossible 8 can start, which hopefully means the delay won't be too long. Cruise and the rest of the Mission: Impossible 8 crew will start production after the Top Gun rollout.

Deadline is also reporting that claims from UK tabloids that Mission: Impossible 7 was delayed due to pandemic-related reasons were false. Director Christopher McQuarrie posted on Instagram that the team wrapped a successful shoot in the Middle East and traveled back to London for a few "finishing touches."

It's been a story of red-light green-light for Mission: Impossible 7, as the coronavirus put a halt to the film's initial plans to start shooting in Italy in February 2020. Shooting didn't start in earnest until July 2020 from the UK. Production traveled to Norway and Italy, but in Italy 12 people on set tested positive for COVID-19 in October, so production was shut down once again.

The pressure appeared to be on, as Cruise made headlines in December for a screaming outburst at crew members who allegedly broke coronavirus safety protocols. Leaked audio published by The Sun showed Cruise going off on reportedly 50 staff members during production in the UK after he spotted "two crew [members] standing within two meters of each other." Cruise could be heard ranting about the risk posed to the "thousands" of jobs the film created.

"They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. ... I'm on the phone with every f—ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers. They are looking at us and using us to make their movies," the audio began. "We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf—ers."

"If I see you do it again, you're f—ing gone. And if anyone on this crew does it, that's it — and you too and you too. And you, don't you ever f—ing do it again," he yelled. "That's it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f—ing homes because our industry is shut down."

After several delayed release dates, Mission: Impossible 7 is on track to release on Nov. 19, 2021 — four months after its initial July-planned date — while Mission: Impossible 8 remains slated for Nov. 4, 2022, even with the production delay.