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Actor Tom Cruise Image Credit: Reuters

Actor Tom Cruise is on a new mission: To make the crew of his upcoming movie follow COVID-19 protocols, whether they like it or not.

The action star Cruise has been caught on audio scolding staff on the set of upcoming movie ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ who were breaking coronavirus guidelines.

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From left, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames in a scene from "Mission: Impossible - Fallout."

In the clip obtained by The Sun, Cruise is heard screaming after reportedly seeing two crew members too close to each other in front of a computer screen. “If I see you do it again you’re [expletive] gone,” he says.

“We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us,” he is heard yelling. “Because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every [expletive] 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 [expletive]. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!”

Shooting for ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ has had multiple stops and starts due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The action flick has so far filmed in Italy, the UK and Norway. In October, filming in Italy had to be put on hold after 12 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The current film set is based in the UK.

“You can tell it to the people who are losing their [expletive] 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 [expletive] industry!” Cruise says in the audio clip. “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 [expletive] movie down!”

Cruise, 58, has played agent Ethan Hunt in all six of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films that started in 1996. The actor has filmed two of the films in the UAE — 2011’s ‘Ghost Protocol’ and 2018’s ‘Fallout’. ‘Mission: Impossible 7’, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, is scheduled to release on November 19, 2021.