MOVIE magic has again come to Blenheim Palace this week as it hosts a shoot for Tom Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible blockbuster.

White pod-style structures were seen attached to cranes at the stately home, where filming on the latest installment of his spy thrillers, Mi5, began on Monday and is expected to run until Friday.

The palace closed to the public for the winter last Sunday and will re-open on February 14.

And publicans said palace film shoots such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix benefited the local economy with production trade and fan visits.

Phil Whitehouse, proprietor of The Woodstock Arms, said the production might return after Christmas for more shooting.

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His father-in-law Michael Dirken had been working on the Mi5 special effects team since May 2014, including in Morocco and was now at Woodstock, he said.

He joked of the 5ft7ins star: “I doubt if we’ll see Tom. But we do have high chairs.

“He’s a very nice guy. He’s down to earth.”

Derek Allen, proprietor of the Duke of Marlborough, said he expects food and drink trade and accommodation bookings if it returns after Christmas.

He said: “It does benefit the area, rooms, food and everything else. Every time a film is made here it’s another notch.”

Woodstock Mayor Julian Cooper said of the film shoots: “They do generate quite a bit of subsidiary revenue in and around the community.”

The film has recently been shot in various locations around Britain, including Cambridgeshire and London.

A palace spokesman confirmed a production is filming at the site, but would not give details.

The Mission: Impossible series began in 1996 and the latest Ethan Hunt spy actionadventure is scheduled to hit cinemas from late December next year.

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