Tom Cruise was back at work on the Italian set of his upcoming action movie Mission: Impossible 7 on Saturday, as he shot high-octane scenes in Rome.
Cutting a dapper figure in a grey waistcoat, crisp white shirt and striped tie, the 58-year-old actor was seen getting behind the wheel of a vintage yellow Fiat 500 as he prepared for dramatic stand-off scenes with a squad of police cars.
The star was seen attempting to drive his small vehicle down a wide city boulevard, before apparently coming unstuck when met with the army of cop cars and bikes.
Back before the camera: Tom Cruise was back at work on the Italian set of his upcoming action movie Mission: Impossible 7 on Saturday, as he shot high-octane scenes in Rome
Of course, with the Hollywood veteran reprising his role as Ethan Hunt in the highly anticipated film, it’s highly likely that he’ll be seen manoeuvring his way into some form of high-speed escape when the finished product is unveiled next year.
In between takes, Cruise put safety first, wearing a black mask as he mingled with co-stars and crew on the picturesque set of the upcoming movie.
Over the past several weeks, he has been spotted shooting a number of scenes in the Italian capital with his Mission: Impossible 7 co-star Hayley Atwell, 38.
Stand-off: The star was seen attempting to drive his vintage Fiat 500 down a wide city boulevard, before apparently coming unstuck when met with the cops cars and bikes
Work on film has seen the cast and crew go before cameras in a range of European locations, including the UK and Norway, as well as the Italian city of Venice.
The shoot is understood to be nearing completion after a turbulent filming schedule caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In October, Tom held crisis talks with director Christopher McQuarrie after 12 people on set reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Health chiefs were said to be tracing the contacts of those who tested positive after filming was suspended, dashing hopes it was an isolated case.
Dapper: The actor looked dapper in a grey waistcoat, which he teamed with a crisp white shirt
It appeared to be yet another blow for the action movie franchise after filming was suspended earlier this year during the first European wave of coronavirus when cases rose sharply in Italy.
The actor and the director, who worked together on previous Mission Impossible movies and Jack Reacher, were deep in conversation at their luxury base in the city, days after the situation came to light, but filming has now been allowed to continue with production restarting in recent weeks.
In October, The Sun reported 150 extras for the film were informed they were not to come in to shoot scenes that were on the filming schedule for the evening.
While no official reason was given for the sudden decision, it was claimed a coronavirus test had come back positive from the production so filming needed to be suspended temporarily.
Safety first: In between takes, Cruise put safety first, wearing a black mask as he mingled with co-stars and crew on the picturesque set of the upcoming movie
A source speaking to the publication claimed: ‘There are about 150 extras involved in the filming and late on Thursday they were all told not to turn up for work and they would be notified when they would be allowed back on set.
‘No official reason has been given but it’s feared it’s down to COVID and this will be the second time the production has been hit because of the virus.’
Crew also urged members of the public to remain socially distanced from one another as they waited to see the stars, while Tom and director Christopher are also said to have made the request.
MailOnline contacted Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise’s representatives for comment at the time.
Approaching the finish line: The shoot is understood to be nearing completion after a turbulent filming schedule caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
Earlier this year, filming for the upcoming action movie was halted in Italy after cases of novel coronavirus rose sharply.
The crew and actors headed to Norway to film instead, before returning to the Italian capital to continue with scenes once it was safe to do so.
It was reported this summer that Hollywood legend Tom hired a £500,000 ship for the film’s crew in Norway to avoid any coronavirus-related delays.
The filming had already been delayed for months after COVID-19 spread across Italy, where production had been based in March, leading the release date to be pushed back to November 2021.
Affected by the pandemic: Earlier this year, filming for the upcoming action movie was halted in Italy after cases of novel coronavirus rose sharply
‘They are terrified of further delays. Tom is determined not to see any more hold-ups. The studio believes it will keep everyone safe and get this shoot wrapped up’, a source told The Sun earlier this summer.
It was recently claimed that Tom was ‘exempt from Norway’s quarantine rules’ as he restarted filming in the Scandinavian country.
The star revealed how ‘excited’ he was to start shooting the latest instalment of the franchise in a phone call with Norway’s Minister of Culture Abid Raja.
Mission: Impossible 7 is set to be released on November 19, 2021.
City backdrop: The city’s distinctive architecture made for a striking backdrop during filming