People working on Mission: Impossible 7 are on a break for the holidays and taking some time to "regroup" following Tom Cruise's expletive-filled rant.
Last week, the Sun posted audio of the 58-year-old actor unleashing a tirade against some crew members on the set of the upcoming sequel for allegedly breaching COVID-19 safety protocols. Cruise has not commented on the recording, which the New York Times and other outlets have verified as authentic.
"They are off now and Tom took off for Dubai," a source on set told E! News on Wednesday, Dec. 23 about the film's crew. "It's a much-needed break coming at the right time. It was very intense as it always is with Tom. Every M:I movie is a difficult one to film and this one is no exception."
During his tirade, Cruise complained about a lack of social distancing among the crew. He noted that production could be halted if safety protocols are not followed.
"Tom is a perfectionist and wants things done in a certain way," the source told E! News. "His intentions are good, but it does make for a very tense environment. Right now, everyone can regroup and come back with a fresh outlook."
The source added, "What happened with Tom was not out of character. He is meticulous and intense. Everyone takes their jobs seriously and does not want something to go wrong. They see how much is on the line and don't want to make a mistake. They especially don't want to let him down after this. His point was well taken."
Cruise gave crew members a tongue-lashing, yelling, "We shut down, it's going to cost people their f--king jobs, their homes, their family. That's what's happening. All the way down the line. And I care about you guys. But if you're not going to help me, you're gone. OK? Do you see that stick? How many meters is that? When people are standing around a f--king computer and hanging out around here, what are you doing?"
"I'm on the phone with every f--king studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they're looking at us and using us to make their movies," Cruise also said. "Do you understand the responsibility that you have? Because I will deal with your reason. And if you can't be reasonable and I can't deal with your logic, you're fired."
The Sun reported later that five people working on the set quit following a second tirade from Cruise. He and the film's studio have not commented on the report or the audio recording of the first outburst. The newspaper and the Daily Mail both reported Cruise was also set to wrap up filming Mission: Impossible 7 last Friday for an early holiday break, and the latter outlet said Tom planned on flying to Dubai.
Filming on Mission: Impossible 7 was originally supposed to begin in February but production was halted after the coronavirus pandemic broke out that month. Filming resumed in September, in Norway, and moved to Italy in October.
Mission: Impossible 7 is set to be released on Nov. 19, 2021.