MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 was eyeing a possible September re-start on production in the UK after filming was shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but it's looking like the action sequel may be able to get started sooner than anticipated.
The UK Government has said it will publish guidance this week allowing “small numbers of essential cast and crew” to travel to the UK without having to quarantine for 14 days. Those individuals will need to live and work in “bubbles” comprising accommodation and filming locations only. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden revealed that he also has spoken to MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE star, Tom Cruise, about the plans to get productions back to work and they specifically touched on how MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7 and 8 can resume filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Cast and crew on the production had previously said that filming could re-start in September but Cruise is already in prep in the country, which could indicate an earlier re-start than the planned September timeframe. Dowden had this to say about film and TV production resuming in the UK:
"The world’s biggest blockbusters and high-end TV shows are made in Britain. Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries means that we are an in demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy. We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again."
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 is one of a handful of major British-qualifying U.S. productions waiting to get back underway in the UK. Universal Pictures will resume filming on JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION this week and the news about MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 is another indication that the UK is prepared to safely get productions up and running again. I would imagine that other studios and networks will be looking at how the UK is handling these measures so they can set a template about getting productions re-started in the States and in other countries.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 was originally slated to open on July 21, 2021, but the date was shifted to November 19, 2021, due to the halt in production as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered filming all over the world. This release date change also affected the launch of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 which was originally intended to open on August 5, 2022, but had to be pushed to November 4, 2022, due to the delay in filming.