'It's like the Terminator only not as violent'
Remember Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise's expletive-laden rant against workers reportedly violating COVID-19 protocols on the set of his "Mission: Impossible 7" movie last month — the one where he screamed about how the "motherf***ers" who violated on-set pandemic policies would be fired if they ever did it again?
A refresher: "They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we're doing! And I'm on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they're looking at us and using us to make their movies!" he screamed in December. "We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers!"
It's the rant he followed up with a second foul-mouthed shaming when his first diatribe made international headlines and was splashed on tabloid covers.
Well, it turns out he was super serious about making sure everyone follows every protocol put into place and has reportedly gone beyond just threatening that if he happens to see violators, they're "f***ing gone"
Since he can't be everywhere at once to police each employee's' every move, he has purchased robots to be his eyes and ears to keep an eye on scofflaws, the U.K.'s Sun reported Wednesday.
According to the Sun's entertainment guru, Simon Boyle, sources revealed that Cruise paid big bucks for two robots to patrol the movie set in England and make sure workers are following COVID-19 directives.
"Tom is so serious about making sure the shoot isn't shut down that he's splashed out on these robots as he can't be everywhere to ensure people are behaving themselves," a source said.
The source told Boyle that the robots can also administer "on-the-spot" COVID-19 tests to workers.
"The robots are really sophisticated and rather intimidating. It's like the Terminator only not as violent."
Noting that the rant was probably over the top, the source admitted that Cruise was right on principle and that many observers sympathized with the star.
"He gets paid a lot for these films but he also knows that he is lucky to be working and staff on the film from top to bottom rely on this film going ahead," the person added. "You don't have to go far to see how just how much the pandemic has affected jobs."
Cruise's seemingly unhinged behavior during his multiple rants reportedly led at least five "Mission: Impossible" staffers to quit the movie.