The UK government announced on Monday that major Hollywood stars will not be affected by quarantine regulations in an effort to revive the flailing film industry.
In a press release, Culture Minister Oliver Dowden announced that certain important personnel will be permitted to enter the UK without having to adhere to 14-day isolation upon arrival.
This will include people connected to sporting events such as the British Grand Prix and film productions such as Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 7 and Robert Pattinson's The Batman, both set for release in 2021.
The films must "qualify as British under one of the government’s cultural tests or official co-production treaties" in order for individuals to be granted waver.
"Any such individuals will be required to remain for 14 days within a ‘bubble’ that includes only their place of accommodation and production location", the statement said.
Dowden said he had spoken to Cruise regarding the resumption of work on the upcoming Mission Impossible 7 and 8 movies, originally delayed from February to September amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Films impacted by the film-industry suspension also include Fantastic Beasts 3, and the Netflix series The Witcher.
“Film and television are worth £9.9 billion to the UK economy and being able to get production back up and running as quickly as possible is going to help our industry and its 77,000 production workers contribute to the UK’s economic recovery", said Ben Roberts, chief executive of the British Film Institute, in welcoming of the news.
The new exemption follows the publication of guidelines intended to aid with the safe resumption of film and TV production, including physical distancing restrictions, safety training, and consistent testing of temperature.
Two-week quarantine measures, which were introduced last month, have already been ditched for arrivals from "reduced-risk" countries.
