PETALING JAYA: Five Mission: Impossible 7 crew members have reportedly quit after male lead Tom Cruise flew into a second rage on set on Tuesday night.
British tabloid The Sun previously published an audio clip of the Hollywood star unleashing an expletive-laden tirade against people who were breaking physical distancing rules by gathering around a computer monitor.
The news allegedly raised tensions and Cruise, 58, lashed out at staff once again, causing some of them to walk off the set for good.
The Sun quoted a source saying Cruise is upset that crew members are throwing caution to the wind especially after the Covid-19 pandemic derailed the production of Mission: Impossible 7.
“The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw.
“Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked.
“But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him,” said the source.
Filming for Mission: Impossible 7 is currently underway at Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, which is just outside of London, United Kingdom.
Cruise, who is also a producer for the film, has spared no expense to prevent any further delays due to the pandemic, including spending US$676,000 (RM2.7 million) on a cruise ship that cast and crew can isolate on.
In the audio clip, he threatened to fire crew members after he saw people huddling closely around a computer monitor.
“We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers. I don’t ever want to see it again, ever!
“And if you don’t do it, you’re fired. If I see you do it again, you’re f***ing gone.
“If we shut down, it’s going to cost people f***ing jobs, their home, their family. That’s what’s happening,” said Cruise.
While Cruise has devoted significant time, money, and energy to keep Mission: Impossible 7 on schedule, Spencer MacDonald from entertainment union Bectu is not surprised that some crew members have decided to call it quits.
“After a very difficult year for freelancers working in the industry, the last thing crews deserve is a multi-millionaire Hollywood star screaming abuse and threatening their jobs,” said MacDonald.
