Tom Cruise builds COVID-proof studio in military base
What's the story
Action star Tom Cruise is finally backing his on-set eruption with some staunch steps to evade COVID-19.
The 58-year-old is setting up a studio in a former military base, raising expectations that social distancing and other norms will be followed stringently, this time.
The production will thus be shifted to the former tank design base at Longcross in Surrey from Leavesden in Hertfordshire.
Development
He is apparently "hell-bent" at completing the movie within deadline
The actor, who wants to achieve the deadline of releasing Mission Impossible 7 on November 19, 2021, is reportedly spending millions to ensure smooth progress of work.
He is apparently "hell-bent" at completing the movie.
This comes shortly after his infamous tirade on the MI7 set, captured by The Sun, where he was heard hurling expletives at staff for disobeying UK social distancing norms.
Reaction
Cruise's rant left Hollywood divided; some supported him, some didn't
That leak exposed the star to media trial, with Hollywood biggies remaining divisive over whether his rant is to be considered rude or be endorsed.
Some said he shouldn't have been so rough in his approach, others sympathized with his frustration.
'It's not my style, but I understand why he did it. He's not wrong at all about that," George Clooney had said.
Details
Forget the rant, Cruise actually took key decisions
While the controversy took spotlight, some landmark decisions taken by the star to continue production were forgotten.
Like, in October, shooting was on in Italy, but production was stopped as soon as 12 crew members tested positive for the virus.
Also, just a month before that, two Norwegian ships, MS Vesterålen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, were hired to house the entire crew inside those.
Permission
He had personally requested UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden
When Cruise and his team had planned to shoot in UK, coronavirus cases were at a peak and it took a personal appeal from him to UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to get a permission in July.
However, not all is bad.
Tabloids report that "Lockdown, and all the difficulties that came with it," actually brought him closer to his co-star, Hayley Atwell.
Umm...okay!