Mission: Impossible filming halted in Venice after coronavirus outbreak in Italy

Filming on the latest Mission: Impossible film has been halted over fears of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

The action movie starring Tom Cruise had been set for a three-week shoot in Venice.

But the plans have now been stopped after more than 200 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the country. It is the largest number of confirmed cases of the disease outside Asia.

Cruise was reportedly holed up in a luxury hotel in the Italian city after filming was cancelled.

In a statement, Paramount Pictures said it was following the advice of the Venetian government to halt production.

"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.

The film industry is facing the prospect of losing hundreds of millions of dollars as it moves to deal with the strain of coronavirus.

Paramount has already postponed the Chinese release of its family adventure Sonic The Hedgehog.

Cinemas across the country, which has the world's second largest box office market, have also 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.