It's not easy being the biggest movie star in the world, and it looks like some of the pressure and frustration of this extremely trying year has finally caught up to Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible; Top Gun: Maverick), who earlier today was caught on audio tearing into a few of his Mission: Impossible 7 crew members after he caught them breaking COVID safety protocols during the London portion of the shoot.
The Sun released the expletive-filled recording earlier this afternoon, where Cruise is heard saying, "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 f–king 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 motherf–kers."
Thanks to a gargantuan effort from the star/producer Cruise himself, Mission: Impossible 7 was among the first big-budget productions earlier this year to gain approval to resume filming after a lengthy pandemic-induced hiatus in the United Kingdom, slowly ushering in a restart in film productions across the globe. However, many films - including M:I7, which had cases surface during their Italy shoot in October and had to be shut down - have already experienced trouble keeping everyone safe as the pandemic rages on, and it sounds like Cruise doesn't want to take any more chances.
While his anger and frustration are on display, with him promising to fire the violators if they break protocols again, his passion for the future of the filmmaking industry is also clear as he reveals that he's been talking to multiple studios to help them get their biggest productions back on track, stressing how important keeping this production - as well as the entire film industry - going actually is as the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe depend on it.
Both the audio and transcript can be found below:
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 f–king 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 motherf–kers.
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–king gone. And if anyone in this crew does it – that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f–king do it again.
That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f-ing 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 f–king 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 f–king movie down! Is it understood?
If I see it again you’re f–king 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?
Do 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. . .[inaudible].
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 f–king 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 meters is that?
When people are standing around a f–king 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.
In addition to Cruise, the highly anticipated Chris McQuarrie-directed blockbuster also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Shea Whigham, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, and Angela Bassett.
Mission: Impossible 7 lights the fuse in theaters on November 19, 2021; followed by Mission: Impossible 8 on November 4, 2022.