The set of the Christopher McQuarrie-directed movie is reportedly temporarily closed again as there's an investigation ongoing on what went wrong during the filming of the motorbike stunt.
- Aug 14, 2020
AceShowbiz - "Mission: Impossible VII" filming is hit with yet another delay, just a month the crew were given a permission to resume filming in England. This time, the production came to a halt after a motorbike stunt gone wrong.
On Tuesday, August 11, a stuntman shot one of the most expensive action sequences filmed in the U.K. that took six weeks to prepare, according to The Sun. Despite the long and intensive preparation, on the day of the filming, things didn't go as planned as the bike exploded after a leap from a ramp.
"This has been a massive challenge to stage and has cost a fortune, not to mention weeks and weeks of construction. But when it came to the big day, it went horribly wrong," a source tells the site. "The idea was for the stuntman to land on some huge pillows filled with card to cushion the blow, while the bike safely crashed to the ground a few metres away."
"Unfortunately, it was miscalculated," the source adds, before detailing what went wrong, "The heat and the friction of the tyres meant that when the bike crashed, the cardboard padding sparked and went up in flames. The smoke was so bad they had to close a nearby RAF airfield."
It's reported that "nobody was hurt but it's a total catastrophe, not to mention extremely expensive for all concerned." Nevertheless, Oxfordshire Fire Service dispatched five engines and crews to control the fire, while ambulances also raced to the quarry in case of any injury.
Tom Cruise, who checked out the stunt set-up the day before the accident, is believed to have been working with a parachute for a quarry "snow scene" at the time of the blaze. The actor, who also produces the upcoming movie, is said to be "very frustrated" as the source notes, "Nobody wants more delays."
Following the incident, the set has been temporarily closed as an investigation is ongoing on what went wrong.
"Mission: Impossible 7" had been filming in Italy, when COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in February. Three weeks later, filming resumed in Surrey, England. Production took another hiatus in July, before the crew were given a permission to resume filming in England without going through the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Christopher McQuarrie serves as director for the seventh installment of the "M: I" film series which is set to arrive on November 19, 2021. Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson (II) and Vanessa Kirby also star in the movie.
