Mission: Impossible 7's studio sues insurance company for not covering claim worth $100M

Mission: Impossible 7's studio Paramount has filed a legal lawsuit against their insurance company for refusing to cover the vast majority of its losses due to pandemic-related shutdowns. Production of the movie was delayed seven times between February 2020 and June 2021, at least six of which were the result of the pandemic. The movie's insurer said they would cover only $1 Million over the claimed $100 Million.

Mission: Impossible 7's studio Paramount sues insurance company

As per Variety, Paramount filed a breach of contract lawsuit on Monday in California federal court, the studio claims that the latest sequel in the more than $3 billion franchise was forced to hit the production almost seven times. Paramount had a “cast insurance” policy for the production, with a $100 million coverage limit. The insurer, Chubb, has said it will pay only $1 million for COVID-19 losses under its 'civil authority' policy.

As per documents acquired by Deadline, Paramount in its lawsuit stated, "Paramount suffered significant losses and damages covered by the Policy when it was forced to suspend and postpone production of Mission Impossible 7 due to Closure Orders affecting different filming locations, cast illnesses, and the need to protect cast and crew and its locations from exposure to SARS-CoV-2." Chubb, however, has stated that the COVID shutdowns are covered only under the studio’s 'civil authority' policy, which covers costs that are the result of government-mandated shutdowns. That policy carries a $1 million limit.

The movie's shoot halted in February 2020 due to the pandemic, it was later restarted in December and a video of Tom shouting at the crew for flouting COVID-19 norms went viral. The shooting of the movie was halted again twice between February-June 2021 as a member of the crew had tested positive for the virus and cases of COVID-19 increased in the UK. The movie is now scheduled for release in the United States on May 27, 2022, by Paramount Pictures, followed by a streaming release on Paramount+ in July 2022.

Mission: Impossible 7 also stars Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom reprise their roles from the previous films, along with Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Cary Elwes who will join the franchise.

(Image Credits: Mission Impossible and Tom Cruise Instagram)