FIVE staff have quit Mission Impossible after a second meltdown by star Tom Cruise.
Another eruption followed on Tuesday night as news of his rant emerged.
A source said: “The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw.
“Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked.
“But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all.
“He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he’s the one who carries the can.”
Delays have blighted the franchise’s seventh instalment.
Cruise, 58, who plays Ethan Hunt and is a producer, has pumped a fortune into Covid measures including hiring a cruise ship so staff can isolate.
In October, he held crisis talks with director Christopher McQuarrie days after 12 people on set in Italy were said to have tested positive.
Since returning to the UK two weeks ago, Cruise has been pictured wearing a mask on set.
In his first rant, he warned the 50-strong crew they’d be “f***ing gone” if they ignored guidelines.
He also told staff at Warner Bros. Studios, Herts: “We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf*****.”
A source said: “Tom has taken it upon himself to try to enforce precautions with a view to keeping the film running.”
But Spencer MacDonald, of entertainment union Bectu, said: “After a very difficult year for freelancers working in the industry the last thing crews deserve is a multi-millionaire Hollywood star screaming abuse and threatening their jobs.”
