It's not going to put food on their table – How COVID shutdowns rocked 'Mission: Impossible 7,' leading to Paramount's massive insurance battle

"It's not going to put food on their table!" screamed Tom Cruise as tensions on the set of 'Mission: Impossible 7' reached boiling point. That famous outburst captured the frustration of a movie embroiled in not just delays but a multi-million-dollar legal showdown.

The Battle over Insurance: Paramount vs. Chubb

When production was set to begin for ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ on Feb. 24, 2020, nobody foresaw the rollercoaster ride of shutdowns, pandemic outbreaks, and financial stress. As reported by Variety, Paramount is now suing its insurer, Chubb, over refusal to cover the majority of its losses stemming from COVID-19.

According to the suit, Chubb has stubbornly agreed to pay only $1 million under the "civil authority" policy, despite Paramount’s "cast insurance" policy designed to provide a whopping $100 million coverage.

"The future of this f—ing industry!" – Tom Cruise's Heated Outburst Amid Delays

Production was delayed no less than seven times between February 2020 and June 2021, at least six due to the pandemic. But the insurer maintains that the COVID shutdowns only fall under the "civil authority" policy, leading to a legal standoff.

Tom Cruise's explosive reaction to crew members breaking COVID protocols in December 2020 gave an inside look at the pressure cooker environment. "You can tell it to the people who are losing their f—ing homes because our industry is shut down," he yelled, the audio of which was leaked to The Sun newspaper.

The Path to a Pandemic-Ridden Production

The suit alleges that one irreplaceable person, whose identity remains confidential, fell sick leading to the first shutdown. Subsequent delays were caused by Italian government restrictions, two separate outbreaks on set, a surge in U.K. cases, and a U.K. government-imposed quarantine on crew members.

Chubb paid out $5 million under the cast insurance policy in connection with one delay, but Paramount argues that pandemic-related shutdowns should have triggered the full provision of the $100 million coverage.

All this drama adds to the anticipation for 'Mission: Impossible 7', which is set to be released on May 27, 2022. Fans are eager to see if the film will live up to its own impossible mission of overcoming this barrage of obstacles.

The suit does not reveal the full extent of Paramount’s losses, only stating that the $5 million payout is but a “small portion.” What is clear, however, is that the mission of making ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ was a battle in itself.

The Legal and Emotional Toll of a Mega Production

The lawsuit between Paramount and Chubb will surely be a long-winding one, highlighting the enormous challenges and costs involved in making a blockbuster in a pandemic-ridden world.

Cruise's heated words still echo and encapsulate the turmoil that the entertainment industry has faced. The mission to bring 'Mission: Impossible 7' to the silver screen has been nothing short of, well, impossible.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)