Mission: Impossible 7 will resume filming in September, after production was relocated by the coronavirus pandemic.

First assistant director Tommy Gormley said on Tuesday that Paramount are hoping to restart work on the Tom Cruise blockbuster this autumn, and 'visit all the countries' where they originally planned to film scenes.

Mission Impossible 7's release has been delayed from July 2021 to November 19, 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the film to relocate from Venice to the UK, and eventually halt production indefinitely.

'We were days from shooting in Venice – we were right at the epicentre when it all kicked off – so we had to shut down in Venice where we were four or five days from shooting.

'We hope to visit all the countries we planned to and look to do a big chunk of it back in the UK on the backlot and in the studio, so September through to end April/May is our targets. We are convinced we can do this.'

Tommy went onto hint that 'tens of thousands' of film industry staff needed to return to work, after almost all Hollywood films were put on hold as COVID-19 continued to spread.

He added: 'We have to do it safely and protect our colleagues, but it is definitely possible and we're working flat out to make it happen.'

Mission: Impossible 7 was originally scheduled to begin filming in Venice back in February, with stars including Ethan Hunt frontman Tom, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, Vanessa Kirby and Rebecca Ferguson reprising their roles.

Christopher McQuarrie, who directed the last two installments Rogue Nation and Fallout, was back behind the camera for the latest film. 

But as COVID-19 spread rapidly in Italy, producers decided to move production to the UK, with the entire cast sent home by producers.

At the time, Simon explained that producers felt it was 'unwise to remain' in Venice as the deadly virus spread at such a fast rate.

He said: 'Paramount were very cautious and sensible I think and pulled the production out of Venice.

'It's a big group of people, we were shooting carnival sequences and it was just unwise to remain so we bugged out.

'I think it would be indelicate to complain about anything other than the fact that there was a lot of disruption for everyone.' 

Tom was forced to hole up in one of the city's luxury hotels after action scenes on gondola boats could not go ahead, as the Italian government placed the county in total lockdown.

It was thought that Cruise and his co-stars would relocate to Buckinghamshire's Pinewood Studios following the disruption - where many major movies are shot. 

In mid-March - were days before the UK was placed in lockdown, Tom was seen performing high-octane stunts for MI7's opening scenes at Dunsfold in Surrey, England.

Paramount then announced in April that the release dates for Mission Impossible's seventh and eighth installments - which were scheduled to be filmed back-to-back - had been delayed.

MI7 will now be released in November 19 2021, and MI8 on November 4, 2022.

Last month it was reported that despite moving production to the UK, star Tom is keen to get back to Venice so he can help one of the countries worst affected by the virus.

A source told The Sun: 'Tom is refusing to film anywhere else as he wants to pump his millions back into one of the worst-hit areas of Covid-19 to help it recover. 

'Film bosses had attempted to find an alternative location but he was having none of it. It's a really thoughtful gesture and no doubt it will be welcomed by the people of Venice...

'Parks, factories and building sites are reopening so the chiefs at Mission: Impossible and Tom reckon it won't be long for them to restart filming.'

The likes of The Matrix 4, Fantastic Beasts 3 and Jurassic World: Dominion have also all been forced to halt production for the time being.