Filming on the latest Mission: Impossible film has been halted over fears of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, producers have said.
The action movie, which stars Tom Cruise, was scheduled for a three-week shoot in Venice, but that has now been stopped after more than 200 people tested positive for the virus in Italy.
It is the largest number of confirmed cases of the disease outside Asia.
In a statement, Paramount Pictures said it was following the advice of the Venetian government and using an "abundance of caution" in halting production.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Scotland could ban major events to halt spread
"During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves," the studio said.
It is understood Hollywood star Cruise, 57, was not in Italy for filming.
The film industry is facing the prospect of losing hundreds of millions of dollars as it moves to deal with the strain of coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
Paramount has already postponed the Chinese release of its family adventure Sonic The Hedgehog while cinemas across the country – the world's second-largest box office market – have been closed.
The Chinese premiere for No Time To Die, the latest James Bond film, has also been cancelled.
And Disney faces a headache over its Mulan remake, which is set for release next month.
If cinemas in China are still closed, Mulan's box office take could suffer a significant blow.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here