'Mission: Impossible 8' Will No Longer Be Filmed Back-to-Back With 7th Movie - Here's Why

There has been a change of plans for the Mission: Impossible franchise, though it might not have any effect on the release calendar.

Tom Cruise is almost done filming the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 and the original plan was to immediately begin production on Mission: Impossible 8. Now, filming will have to wait because of delays caused by the pandemic.

Tom‘s movie Top Gun: Maverick was supposed to be released last summer, but now it is scheduled to hit theaters on July 2, 2021. Assuming that date doesn’t move, Tom will likely be on a press tour for several weeks and won’t be able to film M:I8. It’s not clear yet when production will begin for that movie.

Deadline reports that there have been no “pandemic-related travel issues” for filming, as has been reported in some tabloids. The production team just wrapped a shoot in the Middle East and they’re traveling back to London for the final shots.

Mission: Impossible 7 is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 19, 2021 and the eighth film is scheduled for release on November 4, 2022.

Click inside for an update from the director of the upcoming movies…

See an update from director Christopher McQuarrie below.