In a new audio clip obtained by The Sun (ugh sorry), Tom Cruise can be heard ripping into around fifty members of the Mission: Impossible 7 crew after he seemingly discovered a few of them breaking COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Cruise is currently filming Mission: Impossible 7 at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, which is apparently where the rant took place. The movie has already stalled twice this year due to various issues associated with the ongoing pandemic, and the 58-year-old actor has now reportedly taken it upon himself to personally enforce the rules so that filming can continue without further delays. This has included hiring an old cruise ship to group the crew together in a safety zone at a cost of around $675,000.
A source told the tabloid that before Cruise started yelling “Everyone was wearing masks. It was purely that these people were standing under a metre away from each other. It isn’t known whether he saw those guys breaking the rules before or whether this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
You can hear the audio of Cruise tearing into the Mission: Impossible 7 crew below…
And here is a transcription…
“We want the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we’re doing! I’m on the phone with every fucking studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies.
“We are creating thousands of jobs you motherfuckers. 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 fucking gone. And if anyone in this crew does it – that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever fucking do it again. That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their fucking homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education.
“That’s what I sleep with every night. The future of this fucking industry! So I’m sorry I am beyond your apologies. I have told you and now I want it and if you don’t do it you’re out. We are not shutting this fucking movie down! Is it understood?
“If I see it again you’re fucking gone — and you are — so you’re going to cost him his job, if I see it on the set you’re gone and you’re gone. That’s it. Am I clear? you understand what I want? 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. That’s it. That is it. I trust you guys to be here. That’s it. That’s it guys. Have a little think about it.
“That’s what I think of Universal and Paramount. Warner Brothers. Movies are going because of us. If we shut down it’s going to cost people fucking jobs, their home, 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 metres is that? When people are standing around a fucking computer and hanging out around here, what are you doing? And if they don’t comply then send their names to Matt Spooner. That’s it.”
Those on Twitter hearing the audio this week were conflicted about Cruise’s rant, with some seeing his point and lauding him for enforcing the safety rules, and others wondering how often the actor might flex his control similarly in other circumstances.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever worked at a place where an exec felt he or she had license to be this kind of verbally abusive,” responded one Twitter user after hearing the audio. “Not to mention it’s probably a bad sign when a leader loses their shit on their own people like this, whatever the reason. Even this.”
“I am cool with him getting angry with his employees, but he was being a little dramatic,” wrote another. “He is responsible for the future of the industry, by making MI7??? GTFO.”
“Good for him on this,” posted someone else. “But I HATE Tom Cruise… everything about him.”
Mission: Impossible 7 is being filmed back-to-back with an eighth installment of the franchise by returning director Christopher McQuarrie, and stars Cruise alongside Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Shea Whigham.
The movie is set to be released on November 19, 2021.