Tom Cruise was filming his latest movie ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One’ in February 2020, however, Covid got in the way and production was halted.
The big-time movie star was a stickler for Covid protocols, going viral for a leaked explosive rant when he saw two staff members standing too close to one another. This meant that even come July when the production had the green light to go ahead, question marks remained over how or if the movie would proceed.
It proved difficult to find somewhere to house the cast and crew while filming in Norway, with Mr. Cruise wanting to keep them away from the COVID risks of public hotels and accommodations. Tensions were rising with a crew member telling The Sun: “They are terrified of further delays. Tom is determined not to see any more hold-ups.”
This is where Hurtigruten sailed in to save the day. The production company charted the 530-passenger MS Fridtjof Nansen and 490-passenger MS Vesteralen to serve as ‘floating villages’ for the cast and crew.
All members of the production would eat, sleep and work on the Hurtigruten ships in between filming amongst the waterfalls and fjords of Norway’s natural landscapes. Reportedly Mr Cruise put up almost $1 million out of his own pocket for the ship’s charter.
The MS Fritjof was even a brand new ship at the time, meaning the Mission Impossible crew were the fest to step aboard.
The move of keeping the cast and crew separate from Norway’s population meant that the production was able to negotiate an exemption to Norway’s 10-day quarantine period and get straight to work. Hurtigruten also benefitted getting some crucial income in a time that couldn’t have been more difficult for the cruise and travel industries.
The movie is now set to release on July 10 in the US, which might never have been possible without Hurtigruten’s expedition ships steering the way.
