Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 have been pushed back to 2023 and 2024 due to COVID-related delays

The release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 have been pushed back to 2023 and 2024, respectively.

The news about the forthcoming entries in the Tom Cruise-starring franchise was reported by numerous sources on Friday, when it was made known that the films would be withheld from the public as a result of the ongoing state of the pandemic. 

The films’ production companies, Paramount and Skydance, released a statement via Deadline explaining that the projects were being held back as a safety measure. 

A longer wait: The release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 have been pushed back to 2023 and 2024, respectively

‘After thoughtful consideration, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have decided to postpone the release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic,’ they stated.

The companies also revealed that the features would be pushed forward by a whole year and that they were still enthusiastic about their respective debuts.

‘The new release dates will be July 14, 2023, and June 28, 2024, respectively. We look forward to providing moviegoers with an unparalleled theatrical experience,’ they said.

Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 were announced to have been in production in 2019, when Cruise, 59, made the news known to the public through his Twitter account.

Reasoning: The news about the forthcoming entries in the Tom Cruise-starring franchise was reported by numerous sources on Friday, when it was made known that the films would be withheld from the public as a result of the ongoing state of the pandemic

The performer also noted that the two features would be shot back-to-back in an effort to release them in consecutive years.

In addition to Cruise, series regulars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson will appear in the forthcoming movies.

Returning cast members from previous films also include Henry Czerny and Vanessa Kirby. 

Newcomers to the seventh feature in the series include Esai Morales, Cary Elwes and Pom Klementieff.

Back for more: In addition to Cruise, series regulars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson will appear in the forthcoming movies

Production on the seventh feature was supposed to begin in early 2020, although shooting was delayed due to the onset of the global pandemic.

The crew eventually came together to begin principal photography in September of that year.

Filming continued for a whole year before the feature’s team finished work on the seventh feature last year.

Production on the eighth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise commenced just a few months after the end of work on the previous movie.

Taking precaution: Production on the seventh feature was supposed to begin in early 2020, although shooting was delayed due to the onset of the global pandemic

The seventh feature in the franchise was originally set to be made available to the public in 2021, and the eight was also supposed to premiere in 2022. 

The dates for both of the films were pushed back several times over the course of the following years.

The Mission: Impossible series has grossed a total of $3.57 billion over its nearly two-decade run. 

Former dates: The seventh feature in the franchise was originally set to be made available to the public in 2021, and the eight was also supposed to premiere in 2022