Tom Cruise said landing helicopters on an island populated by 3,000 polar bears was a bad idea

Tom Cruise has failed to convince the world’s ‘polar bear capital’ to allow him to land helicopters for a Mission Impossible shoot.

Authorities in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard have told the 60-year-old Hollywood star that he cannot land helicopters on the Arctic archipelago as it would disrupt local wildlife.

PolarX, the local production company, had requested permission for 30 landings during the filming of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.

But the governor, Lars Fause, turned them down, prioritizing the needs of the polar bear population in the area 600 miles from the North Pole.

Kristin Heggelund, who heads the local environmental department, said it aims to “preserve a virtually pristine environment on Svalbard”.

She added: “All passages in Svalbard must be done in such a way that people or animals are not unduly disturbed.”

And Anette Trettebergstuen, Norway’s culture minister, has blocked the subsidies that production companies normally receive for filming in Norway.

The area prides itself on its unspoiled nature, which is home to 2,500 people mostly in the capital, Longyearbyen.

They outnumber the estimated 3,000 polar bears.

Since 2012, carrying a firearm when leaving settlements has been mandatory to deter bears.

Time is of the essence for Paramount as the film is slated for release this year.

Svalbard as the filming location allows the crews to have almost constant light.

The region has been the setting for other major Hollywood productions, including the 2002 Bond film, Die Another Day.

Marc Wolff, a helicopter stunt pilot who has worked with Cruise and on Svalbard, said the actor – who does his own stunts – prefers helicopters to snowmobiles.

“But that’s what we have to take into account these days, the noise and the disturbance to wildlife from helicopters,” he told the Times.

“It’s the polar bear capital of the world. Sometimes there is a certain breed that takes place at times of the year that they don’t want to disturb. It’s spring now, so they’ve just come out of hibernation.”

PolarX, which was previously allowed to land helicopters in the area, has appealed the decision. The company declined to comment.