Tom Cruise halts Mission: Impossible filming in UK amid Hollywood actors' strike
Tom Cruise has abruptly halted filming the new and upcoming Mission: Impossible action film due to the Hollywood actors' strike.
The 61-year-old actor, who is best known for starring as IMP agent Ethan Hunt in the much-loved franchise, has been filming in the United Kingdom in recent days and weeks. Tom was on-set in Surrey, according to reports, with the set now said to be "deserted" amid the widely reported strike.
The action-loving actor, who is known for his love of stunts, was filming at Longcross Studios in Surrey for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two. The movie was originally set to hit cinemas on June 28 next year, less than a year after Part One premiered.
Part One of the movie came out in the week and was met with rave reviews, but it now seems that Part Two could be further away than initially thought.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the hotly anticipated film was already on a "pre-planned hiatus", which meant that Tom Cruise, filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie and other cast members "could embark on a global press tour".
Tom Cruise debuts new look at Oscars lunch as fans mock 'Donald Trump-level tan'They added: "The strike will delay when filming picks up again as it aims for a release date 11 months away."
This comes as much of Hollywood strikes, bringing the world of film and TV to an abrupt halt. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists members began striking on Thursday after the higher pay they wanted and protection against artificial intelligence was not given to them.
The president of SAG-AFTRA has recently said: "It came with great sadness that we came to this crossroads. We had no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimised by a very greedy entity.
"I am shocked by the way the people we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right while giving millions to CEOs. It’s disgusting, shame on them."
This comes two months after the Writers Guild of America went on strike two months ago for the first time in 15 years. In May, many writers and actors alike joined picket lines taking place in Los Angeles and New York, which led to many TV programmes and movies disrupted.
Members of the Writer's Guild have been citing unsatisfactory pay as one of the reasons for striking, with them also demanding regulation in the "use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies." It is also reported that writers are asking for more payments and residuals from shows that are dropped onto streaming platforms.
Charles Slocum, assistant executive director at the WGA told Deadline at the time: "In streaming, the companies have not agreed to pay residuals at the same level as broadcast, or the same reward-for-success as they have traditionally paid in broadcast.
"If you write for a streamer, you get two residuals payments — one for domestic streaming and one for foreign streaming. It's a set amount of money. If it's a big hit, you do not get paid more residuals in streaming, whereas in the broadcast model, you do because of its success."