Hollywood stars are exempt from the UK's coronavirus quarantine rules.

The government has announced that top Hollywood stars, including Tom Cruise, will be exempt from quarantine regulations as part of its push to get film production back in the UK.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the move, which will cover sporting events such as the British Grand Prix and the production of films such as Mission Impossible 7, to allow key people to travel to the UK without having to be quarantined. for 14 days on arrival. Dowden's statement said that "any such individual will be required to stay for 14 days within a 'bubble' that includes only the place of accommodation and place of production."

Dowden said he had spoken with Cruise about Mission Impossible 7 and 8, on which back-to-back production was supposed to restart in September after being halted in February.

Dowden added, "We want the industry to bounce back and exempting a small number of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our ongoing commitment to get cameras safe again."

Productions involved in the movie industry shutdown include The Batman, Fantastic Beasts 3 and the Netflix series The Witcher.

Ben Roberts, chief executive of the British Film Institute, welcomed the news, saying: “Cinema and television are worth £9.9 billion to the UK economy and the ability to get production up and running as soon as possible. as soon as possible will help our industry. and its 77,000 production workers contribute to the UK's economic recovery. ”

According to Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission, overseas productions were worth over £3 billion in 2019 and said: “The hugely welcome news is also a clear recognition of the importance of the film industry and cutting-edge investment. on TV. for the UK economy. ”

The announcement follows the publication of guidelines aimed at allowing film and TV production to resume safely, which include rules on physical distancing, safety training and temperature testing.