NEW YORK — It will be another year before a new “Mission: Impossible” movie hits theaters. Paramount Pictures and Skydance announced Friday that the release of “Mission: Impossible 7” will be pushed from Sept. 20 to July 14, 2023.
“Mission: Impossible 8,” previously set for July 2023, will instead open June 28, 2024.
It's the latest setback for a pair of blockbusters that have been much-delayed by the pandemic. Shooting on “Mission: Impossible 7," starring franchise lead Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell of "Captain America" fame, was put on hiatus in early 2020 because of COVID-19. After filming resumed in the summer of 2020, principal photography ultimately concluded by September 2021.
Paramount and Skydance attributed the postponements to pandemic-related delays.
“After thoughtful consideration, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have decided to postpone the release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic," said the film companies in a joint statement.
Another blockbuster Cruise sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick," has also been hit by repeated postponements. It's now set for theatrical release on May 27, 2022, nearly three years after its original premiere date.
The second "Top Gun" movie was supposed to debut in July 2019 but was delayed for the production to perfect the intricate flight sequences, according to Deadline. It was pushed to the summer of 2020, but then COVID-19 shut down movie theaters across the country and the release date kept being pushed back.