Fast & Furious Filmmakers have been fined £800,000 ($1 million) after one of their stuntmen suffered brain damage following a fall during production.
Stuntman Joe Watts suffered a fractured skull after falling eight meters onto concrete and landing on his head in a filming accident Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga at Warner Bros Studios in Hertfordshire, UK, in July 2019.
The BBC reports that a judge deemed Watts “lucky to still be alive” after hearing his safety line came loose during a stunt that was rehearsed but changed during filming. The court heard the safety line was not checked between shots. District Judge Talwinder Buttar of Luton Magistrates’ Court criticized the decision to “change the stunt at the drop of a hat” and added that the carpets underneath should also have been adjusted.
The charges were brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which described Watts’ injuries as “life-changing” and added: “Stunt work is not about preventing a fall, but about minimizing the risk of harm too limited.”
FF9 Pictures admitted health and safety failings in court on Friday and accepted the fine.
The BBC reports Watts worked on many high-profile productions before his accident, including game of thrones, Johnny English Strikes Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi And Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Fast and Furious 9 – starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron – was made on a production budget of $200 million to $225 million manufacture. When it was released in 2021, it earned $726.5 million at the global box office.
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
