Tom Cruise threatens to fire 'Mission: Impossible' crew who broke COVID rules in leaked audio

A leaked audio recording obtained by The Sun appears to show actor Tom Cruise threatening to fire workers who broke COVID rules on the set of Mission: Impossible 7. The movie, which is being filmed in the United Kingdom, has already faced delays because of coronavirus cases among crew members.

According to The Sun, Cruise went off on two crew members who stood less than a meter apart while at a computer screen. Cruise reportedly laid into the pair in front of fifty members of staff at the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden.

"I don’t ever want to see it again, ever," Cruise reportedly said in the recording. "And if you don’t do it you’re fired, if I see you do it again you’re f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it - that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f***ing do it again."

The actor continued: "That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their fing 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 f***ing industry! 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 f***ing movie down! Is it understood?"

"If I see it again, you’re f***ing gone — and you are — so you’re going to cost him his job, if I see it on the set you’re gone, and you’re gone. That’s it. Am I clear?"

Cruise added: "Do you understand what I want? Do you understand the responsibility that you have? Because I will deal with your reason. And if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired. That’s it. That is it."

"I trust you guys to be here. That’s it. That’s it, guys. Have a little think about it... That’s what I think of Universal and Paramount. Warner Brothers. Movies are going because of us. If we shut down, it’s going to cost people f***ing jobs, their home, their family. That’s what’s happening."

"All the way down the line. And I care about you guys, but if you’re not going to help me, you’re gone. OK? Do you see that stick? How many meters is that? When people are standing around a f***ing computer and hanging out around here, what are you doing? And if they don’t comply, then send their names to Matt Spooner. That’s it."

Cruise has gone to some extreme lengths to keep the latest installment of the series on track. According to the publication, Cruise wears a mask on set and keeps an eye out for rule-breakers. He personally paid £500,000 ($676,000) for an old cruise ship that the cast and crew are isolating themselves on.

"Tom has taken it upon himself, along with the health and safety department, to try to force the safety precautions, with a view to keeping the film running," a source told The Sun. “He does daily rounds to make sure that everything is set up appropriately, that people are behaving and working as safely as they can. He is very proactive when it comes to safety."

“Everyone was wearing masks. It was purely that these people were standing under a metre away from each other. It isn’t known whether he saw those guys breaking the rules before or whether this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. People make mistakes and they slip up, but Tom is just on it.”