Stunts - injuries & deaths

[GeneChing]

Always tragic to hear of the death of a stunt person.


'Deadpool 2’ Stunt Crash Victim ID’d As First African-American Female Pro Road Racer; Director & Fox “Deeply Saddened” – Update (http://deadline.com/2017/08/deadpool-2-stunt-driver-killed-on-set-vancouver-1202148277/)
by Dominic Patten and David Robb and Anita Busch
August 14, 2017 4:05pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/deadpool3.jpg?w=446&h=299&crop=1
20th Century Fox

WRITETHRU, 4:50 PM: A rookie stuntwoman who was killed in a motorcycle crash on the Vancouver set of Deadpool 2 has been identified as the first African-American female professional road racer. Joi “SJ” Harris was doing her first film as a stunt performer, Deadline has learned. A spokesman for ACTRA confirmed her identity to Deadline, though she is not a member of the Canadian actors union.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/joi-harris.jpg
Joi Harris via Facebook

Production on the superhero sequel was shut down immediately after the fatality, and there’s no word on when filming will resume. It’s the second on-set death in North America in a month; John Bernecker suffered massive head injuries in a fall July 12 on the set of The Walking Dead and died shortly afterward.

Details still are coming in, but witnesses said the crew was filming a stunt sequence when Harris lost control of her motorcycle and crashed through a plate-glass window at Shaw Tower on West Waterfront Road near Jack Poole Plaza. The stuntwoman was playing the Domino character in the sequence in the Ryan Reynolds superhero sequel. Actress Zazie Beetz is playing Domino in Deadpool 2. Reynolds tweeted a photo of Beetz in character two weeks ago.

A source close to the situation said Harris, who was an experienced road racer, had been rehearsing the stunt all day Saturday. A studio production source said that there were “two full days of rehearsals over the weekend, and on Monday, they ran the stunt five-plus times before filming.”

An eyewitness told Deadline that, on the last take, the bike seemed to accelerate when it was supposed to slow as she took the corner. Harris was not wearing a helmet when the accident occurred today because the Domino character did not wear one in the scene.

Deadline has been told that the crew is enduring very long hours — that includes weekends — and that workers feel like they are being run ragged. “People are exhausted by the schedule,” one crew member told Deadline, noting that they were working multiple 16-hour days in a row. That, however, is disputed by a studio production source, who said the daily shooting schedule on the Vancouver set is 12-13 hours, and there were only two 15-plus-hour days, about three weeks ago.

Reynolds said he was “devastated” by Harris’ death. Producer Simon Kinberg had no comment when contacted by Deadline.

David Leitch, director of Deadpool 2 said in a statement to Deadline: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today. No words can express how I and the rest of the Deadpool 2 crew feel about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.” A 20th Century Fox spokesman told Deadline: “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of Deadpool 2 this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time.”

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/joi-harris-race.jpg?w=275&h=275
Joi Harris via Facebook

According to her online bio, Harris began motorcycle riding in Brooklyn and in 2013 — after logging more than 1,500 training hours — became the first African American woman licensed to actively compete in American Motorcyclist Association races. An injury from an on-track crash while training for her first race forced Harris to wait until 2014 to begin competing in the American Sportbike Racing Association/Championship Cup Series. Since then she had been an outspoken advocate for female racing.

“I’ve learned to accept that I am not the greatest rider that exists and that there is always something to learn when on track and pushing limits,” she said on her website. “Sometimes I’m going to eat it if I’m impatient. Everything takes time. Face your fears — you never know what you can be missing out on.”

The Vancouver Police Department confirmed the death on social media this morning. Law enforcement in Reynolds’ hometown said they are investigating the incident along with the BC Coroner’s Service and WorkSafeBC, British Columbia’s version of the U.S.’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration.


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Vancouver Police ✔ @VancouverPD
A stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle. VPD & @WorkSafeBC investigators are at the scene.
10:09 AM - Aug 14, 2017
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“We have five officers on site and two are looking at immediate occupational safety and health issues to make sure the site is safe,” Trish Knight Chernecki, senior manager for WorkSafeBC, told Deadline. “The other three officers on site are investigating the cause of the incident and the prevention of future incidents.”

Andy Watson, a spokesman for the BC Coroner’s Service, told Deadline: “We have opened an investigation,” said its spokesman, “Anytime there is a fatality in the province we investigate. We have a mandate to prevent future deaths and to make any recommendations that could come from our findings.”

A CTV reporter tweeted this from the site:

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Ben Miljure @CTVNewsBen
Stunt person hurt on set of Deadpool 2 loaded into Advanced Life Support ambulance that hasn't moved. Anxious crew looking on. @CTVVancouver
8:59 AM - Aug 14, 2017
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Ben Miljure @CTVNewsBen
Ambulance has left set of Deadpool 2 with injured stunt person. Lights and sirens were not on as it pulled away. @CTVVancouver
9:27 AM - Aug 14, 2017
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Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said the city will continue to support the filming there when the crew recovers from the emotional trauma. “We are extremely saddened to hear of the tragic incident that took the life of a stuntwoman working on the set of Deadpool 2 downtown earlier today,” he said in a statement. “Our condolences go out to her family and friends, and to all those working on set who have been impacted by the loss of their colleague. We will continue to support the crew and production as they work to recover emotionally and as they continue their next phase of filming.”

As previously mentioned, today’s accident marks the second stunt-related on-set death in North America in about a month; stuntman John Bernecker suffered massive head injuries in a fall July 12 on the set of The Walking Dead and later died at Atlanta Medical Center. That was believed to be the first stunt-related death in the United States in more than 17 years.

The veteran stuntman was doing a fight scene for the zombie apocalypse drama with actor Austin Amelio on a balcony when he fell about 30 feet to a concrete floor, just missing the safety pad and landing on his head and neck.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and SAG-AFTRA opened investigations into Bernecker’s death. Mike D’Aquino, a spokesman for the regional OSHA office in Atlanta, said that the investigation could take up to six months to complete. The Coweta County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Department have ruled the death an accident and closed their respective cases into the matter.

AMC temporarily halted production on Season 8 of the zombie apocalypse series in the wake of the accident.

Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.

THREADS
Deadpool 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

SAG-AFTRA Presidential Candidate Pete Antico Blasts Union Leaders Following ‘Deadpool 2’ Stunt Death (http://variety.com/2017/film/news/sag-aftra-presidential-candidate-pete-antico-union-leaders-stunt-safety-1202529076/)
Dave McNary
Film Reporter
@Variety_DMcNary

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/peter-antico-sag-aftra.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
MEDIAPUNCH/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
AUGUST 15, 2017 | 06:14PM PT

SAG-AFTRA presidential candidate and veteran stuntman Pete Antico has blasted union leadership for failure to provide protection to the stunt community.

Antico issued a blistering statement to Variety on Tuesday, a day after the death of stuntwoman Joi “SJ” Harris on the set of “Deadpool 2” and a month after John Bernecker’s death on “The Walking Dead” set. Antico said both deaths are tragic.

“The stunt coordinators on those sets have vast experience tenure and are at the top of their game,” he said. “We have not received much information regarding the details of the incidents; however, I do know that the stunt community is not protected in our collective bargaining agreement and has not been for years. There are no qualifications for a stunt coordinator in our collective bargaining agreement. There never was. That is unconscionable. A producer can hire anyone who says they are a coordinator and most of the time you get what you pay for.”

Antico noted that there are no ambulances required on a set when action is being performed — a provision that he contends should be mandatory. And he has been alleging that changes in travel provisions in the recently ratified contract are problematic, pointing to president Gabrielle Carteris and national exec director David White.

“I can’t believe our current leadership under Gabrielle Carteris and David White gutted all safety out of our contract and actually pushed ratifying a deal that is a recipe for many more accidents and future deaths,” Antico said. “The rest periods given away in the travel provisions of our contract that was in full force for over 50 years have been given away. This means they can bring actors and stunt people in with a 10-hour rest period instead of a 12-hour rest period and coordinators who generally work 14- to 15-hour days on film and TV will not get the rest they need to ensure safety on the set.”

Antico said that coordinators are often prepping action in advance, many times with complex rigging involved in film, or with multiple TV shows in advance, resulting in turnaround times as short as nine hours.

“This practice is unsafe,” Antico said. “This lack of rest affects actors and the crew alike and is unacceptable and I am asking the labor commissioner to get involved.”

SAG-AFTRA issued a statement Monday in response to Harris’ death: “We are all grieving the tragic death of a stunt performer on the ‘Deadpool 2’ set today. Our hearts and prayers are with her family, friends and fellow cast and crew members. The safety of our members and other production professionals on set is a core concern and top priority for SAG-AFTRA. Accordingly, we are sending a field representative to Vancouver and are investigating the incident.”

Antico has received endorsements from Sylvester Stallone, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mickey Rourke, and Andrew Dice Clay, and asserts that he received the backing from the actors because they understand “the value of human life above all things, as well as ethics, principles, and honest business practices.”

Antico added that the government should intervene: “I am calling on the government to get involved to protect all members in our labor organization. I believe our current contract to be grossly negligent in the field of safety and feel that appropriate charges should be filed to protect us.”

Antico has been a longtime critic of SAG-AFTRA’s elected leadership and its executive staff. He has credits on dozens of films, including “Pearl Harbor,” “Danny Collins,” “Daredevil,” “Training Day,” “Monster Trucks,” and “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.”

Antico is one of five candidates seeking the post along with current president Carteris, national board member Esai Morales, and independents Robert B. Martin Jr. and Marilyn Monrovia. Ballots went out last month to about 144,000 members and must be returned by Aug. 24.

There was a death on TWD (http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/walking-dead-stuntman-safety-1202499312/) recently too.

THREADS
Deadpool 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

Somewhat ironic that Deadpool now has blood on its hands. :(


AUGUST 23, 2017 6:00am PT by Scott Johnson
'Deadpool 2' Set Death Likely Could Have Been Prevented (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/deadpool-2-set-death-could-have-been-prevented-1031814)

http://cdn5.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2017/08/deadpool-hero-h_2017.jpg
R CHIANG/SPLASH NEWS; COURTESY OF THREADER24 RACING AND BLACK GIRLS RIDE MAGAZINE
The scene in Vancouver for the Aug. 14 stunt involving motorcycle racer S.J. Harris.

Producers are said to have ignored stunt coordinators’ concerns about the motorcyclist amid a desire for a race and gender match.
In the days leading up to the Deadpool 2 motorcycle stunt that killed racer S.J. Harris on Aug. 14 in Vancouver, the crew was said to be growing increasingly agitated and nervous about the potential for something to go wrong.

The 20th Century Fox sequel’s producers had been exerting pressure to have the 40-year-old Harris, who had raced professionally but had never worked on a film, perform that day’s stunt because, as an African-American, she was a believable stand-in for Zazie Beetz, who portrays Domino in the film. But several crewmembers warned the producers that Harris wasn’t ready, a production source tells The Hollywood Reporter.

“She was improving, but I was watching her and, oh my God, I thought, ‘It’s just a matter of time before she crashes into a wall or runs somebody over,’” says one stunt performer who had been training Harris the day before the crash that killed her. A member of the stunt team alerted the movie’s producers to these concerns but was ignored, according to the source who trained Harris.

From a technical perspective, the stunt was relatively straightforward. It called for a rider sitting astride a Ducati 939 Hyperstrada motorcycle to exit a building, descend a ramp over three small stairs and stop on a nearby landing. For a stunt professional, it would have been a cinch. But Harris had never even been on a film shoot before.

And the crash occurred on the first live take. The accident has drawn outrage and tough questions from the Hollywood stunt community. “The producers put pressure to have somebody of the same sex and ethnicity in a position she wasn’t qualified to be in,” says Conrad Palmisano, a veteran stunt coordinator and second unit director with 47 years in the entertainment industry, including credits on Sleepless in Seattle and 21 Jump Street. Palmisano says he has been in close touch with several people who were on the Deadpool 2 set that day. “The stunt coordinators caved to the pressure. All the stunt people could do was take it to their higher-ups. They’re going to follow their chain of command.”

Fox and a rep for Deadpool 2 director David Leitch (himself a former stunt coordinator) declined to comment. The film restarted production days after the accident and is on track for its June 1 release.

According to a preliminary report issued by WorkSafeBC, the Canadian equivalent of OSHA, Harris “continued driving beyond the planned stopping spot on the stairway landing and continued to drive down a second ramp built over the bottom stairs and across the roadway.” Still astride the motorcycle, the report continues, Harris rode into a concrete sidewalk curb, where she “was thrown off the motorcycle and propelled through a plate-glass window of a building.”

Several people were forced to jump out of the way of the speeding bike. Immediately after she crashed, many ran over to offer first aid and saw that Harris was grievously injured, according to people on the set.

Whatever happened, those who had worked closely with Harris have apparently come to the conclusion that it was likely rider error. The question for investigators is, why was she put in this position? She had crashed the bike on two separate occasions days before the accident, say two people familiar with the shoot.

And Harris was the second person enlisted to do the job, as the production had earlier hired another woman who hadn’t performed well on the motorcycle in preparation for the stunt, a source says.

“If the movie’s producers had to go outside of the normal stunt community to find someone who was both qualified and resembles the actress, that speaks to a problem of lack of diversity of stunt performers,” says Darnell Hunt, the dean of Social Sciences at UCLA who helps produce the annual “Hollywood Diversity Report,” which comes out before the Oscars every year.

Harris’ death is the second fatal on-set accident in less than a month. In July, stuntman John Bernecker was killed when he fell off a warehouse balcony on the Georgia set of The Walking Dead. Before that, the last on-set fatality occurred in spring 2014 during filming of Midnight Rider, when camerawoman Sarah Jones was killed by a train on a bridge trestle, also in Georgia. Jones’ death inspired a large community of safety-minded professionals to gather regularly online to monitor safety-related incidents.

“I cringed every time she went out,” says the person who had been working with Harris, “Like, when is she going to crash?” This person eventually left the set and told the producers she wanted nothing more to do with the movie. “They were warned, yes!”

THREADS
Deadpool 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

SAG-AFTRA Establishes “Standards And Practices” For Stunt Coordinators (https://deadline-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/deadline.com/2018/03/stunt-coordinators-new-sag-aftra-rules-standards-and-practices-1202339012/amp/)
David Robb
March 15, 2018 6:31PM PDT

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SAG-AFTRA

EXCLUSIVE: In a move to bolster safety and foster diversity and gender equality, SAG-AFTRA’s national board of directors has established a new set of “standards and practices” for film and TV stunt coordinators. The move comes in the wake of two-stunt related deaths last year, and a growing outcry from stuntwomen about stuntmen donning wigs and women’s clothes to double for actresses – an age-old practice known as “wigging.”

The union’s contract with employers has long required stunt coordinators to “endeavor” to find qualified women and minority stunt performers to double for women and minority actors.

The new standards and practices stop well short of outright banning “wigging” or “painting down” white stunt performers to double for actors of color – a practice the union discourages – but they do establish new procedures for dealing with stunt coordinators who don’t follow the rules, spelling out an oversight and follow-up procedure to make sure the new code is followed.

At the same time, however, coordinators who violate the new rules will no longer be subject to Article XIV of the SAG-AFTRA constitution and bylaws, which governs the suspension or expulsion of members “engaging in actions antagonistic to the interests or integrity of the union.”

One of the key new provisions states that “a stunt coordinator does not solicit or encourage any performer to violate any of the terms and conditions of any SAG-AFTRA agreement, including provisions relating to gender equity and diversity in casting.” It’s a rule, the guild says, “to which all stunt coordinators should adhere.”

The new code goes on to state that “In the event that a stunt coordinator is alleged not to have fulfilled the foregoing standards and practices, staff will conduct a preliminary inquiry into the circumstances of the alleged violation. If the violation is determined to be founded, in lieu of any recourse to proceedings under Article XIV of the Constitution, the staff, in consultation with committee leadership, as appropriate, will reach out to that stunt coordinator to educate him or her on the standards and practices, and will assist the stunt coordinator in determining how to proceed with respect to the particular issue in question. Staff in coordination with counsel will maintain a record of all reported violations of the standards and practices and the results of any inquiry or investigation thereof.”

The new code also states:

A stunt coordinator reports all violations of SAG-AFTRA agreements committed by production to SAG-AFTRA
A stunt coordinator takes any appropriate actions necessary to ensure the safety of performers or others on the set
A stunt coordinator engages pro-actively with the appropriate personnel in other departments inclusive of but not limited to AD’s, Special Effects, Props etc. regarding the safety of performers
A stunt coordinator strives to ensure that all performers, as appropriate to the scene, are present at all production safety meetings.
“SAG-AFTRA stunt coordinators are the industry professionals that exemplify the highest standards in safety and practicing of the stunt coordinating craft,” the union said in a notice about the new rules. “SAG-AFTRA stunt coordinators are the frontline in promoting adherence to the stunt and safety-related terms and conditions contained in any SAG-AFTRA agreement.”

We've posted a few stunt deaths & accidents here already in various film & TV threads. Here's a few - there are likely more but I'm not going to search them all out now.
Deaths
Joi “SJ” Harris (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2&p=1304301#post1304301)
Liu Kun (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58108-The-Expendables-II&p=1304219#post1304219)
Brandon Lee (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53111-The-Crow-Reborn&p=1297475#post1297475)

Accidents
Uma Thurman (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?18892-Kill-Bill&p=1307331#post1307331)

[GeneChing]

I could've sworn there was a thread collating stunt injuries from film and TV somewhere here on this subforum. If I find it, I'll merge.


AUGUST 22, 2018 12:03pm PT by Bryn Elise Sandberg
‘MacGyver’ Stunt Coordinator Seriously Injured on Set of CBS Series (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/macgyver-stunt-coordinator-seriously-injured-set-cbs-series-1136735)

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2017/03/macgyver_hawaii_five_0_crossover_-_publicity_-_h_2017.jpg
Courtesy of CBS
'MacGyver'

Justin Sundquist, who sued CBS Corp. and CBS TV Studios last year after being injured on the set of 'Hawaii Five-0,' has been hurt on the Atlanta set of the network drama.

MacGyver stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist has been seriously injured on the set of the CBS series.

Sources say that he sustained a head injury while performing a stunt that resulted in him falling off a moving vehicle. Sundquist is not one of the show's stuntmen but is instead a stunt coordinator, the person on set who is normally responsible for the safety of the stunts.

"We have learned about an injury to stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist that occurred late Monday on the set of MacGyver in Atlanta," CBS TV Studios said Wednesday in a statement. "The production team is cooperating with the authorities investigating the accident, and our primary concern at this time is Justin’s health and well-being."

Sources add that Sundquist was put in a medically induced coma as a result of the injury and remains hospitalized. His condition was improving on Thursday but he still remains unconscious, per insiders. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also opened an investigation into the matter, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday.

The accident comes a year after Sundquist sued CBS Corp. and CBS TV Studios for getting hurt on the set of another one of the network's shows, Hawaii Five-0. He claimed he was hit by a car during a stunt due to recklessness of safety personnel. Sources say the two parties settled.

Deadline first reported the news of Sundquist's on-set injury.

This story was updated on Thursday, August 23 at 2:00 p.m. PST.

[GeneChing]

Rapper Falls to Death While Filming Stunt on Plane's Wing (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rapper-falls-death-filming-stunt-planes-wing-1154567)
3:48 PM PDT 10/23/2018 by the Associated Press

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2018/10/jon_james_mcmurray.jpg
Screengrab
Jon James McMurray

Musician Jon James McMurray was walking on the wing of a small Cessna aircraft for a stunt in a music video.

A Canadian rapper died while performing a stunt that involved rapping while walking on the wing of a plane.

British Columbia's Coroners Service says 34-four-year-old Jon James McMurray died Saturday while working with a team making videos of airplane stunts and parachuting in that province.

McMurray manager Ryan Desrochers says the rapper had trained "intensively" for the stunt but as he moved ****her out onto a wing the small Cessna went into a downward spiral. The manager says McMurray held onto the wing too long and by the time he let go he didn't have time to open his parachute.

The plane and pilot later landed safely.

Who here has parachuted from a small plane like a Cessna? I did a static line jump years ago. Climbing out on that wing strut is intense.

[GeneChing]

Here's a fair explanation why.


https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/1500x845/2018/10/hollywoodreporter_stunt_fin06hires-h_2018.jpg

Stunted: How Hollywood’s Content Boom Is Leading to More Stuntperson Injuries and Deaths (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/dark-side-hollywoods-content-boom-1156094)
by Scott Johnson October 31, 2018, 9:00am PDT

It’s the dark side of Peak TV: With seasoned pros stretched thin, productions are hiring haphazardly and cutting corners as stunt performers go public with complaints that union regulations have "no teeth" and new oversight may not go nearly far enough.
Before she arrived on the Vancouver set of Deadpool 2 in mid-August 2017, Joi Harris had never performed a stunt. She'd never been anywhere near a movie or TV set, for that matter. Producers and studio 20th Century Fox wanted an African-American double for Zazie Beetz, who'd been cast in the role of Domino. They hired Harris, 40, who had done some motorcycle racing, and flew her in a couple of days before the shoot. The sequence was pretty straightforward. It called for a rider, sitting astride a powerful Ducati 939 Hyperstrada motorcycle, to coast down a set of planks that had been laid over a few stairs. Harris would be traveling about 5 miles an hour, though onscreen it would be made to look as if she were going much faster.

As the day approached, several experienced stunt performers who had been training Harris all weekend say they told producers and the stunt coordinator they believed Harris wasn't ready. They warned the production that racing on a track was very different from performing in front of cameras and an audience. Producers stuck to the plan. Canada's workplace safety agency, WorkSafeBC, hasn't released its final report on what happened next, but three people familiar with that day's shoot say they watched in horror as Harris, on the first live take, lost control of the bike. She hung on as it sped across a street at high speed before hitting a planter, which sent her hurtling headfirst through a plate glass window. She wasn't wearing a helmet. It was 9:30 in the morning, and her very first stunt would also be her last.

For as long as there have been stunts, the men and women performing them have been hurting themselves, sometimes fatally. The 1980s was a particularly lethal decade, with 40 stunt-related deaths, after which increased diligence on film and TV sets led to improvements. Nonetheless, Hollywood stuntpeople agree that the past several years have brought about a troubling change when it comes to safety. The primary driver is the huge increase in streaming content, which has led some productions and stunt coordinators — whose job it is to oversee all aspects of a production's stunt work — to cut corners. An FX study from January estimated more than 520 TV shows would appear in 2018, a 7 percent increase from 2016, and more than double the 200 or so programs in 2010. "The demand for content is so extreme that productions are just hiring whomever," says Jim Vickers, a 30-year stuntman who has worked on Training Day, Lucifer and Scorpion. The trend is set to continue with such platforms as Facebook and Apple expanding into scripted content.

On sets from Atlanta to Vancouver to L.A., stunt workers have been getting injured in serious and seemingly preventable accidents. A month before Harris' accident, an up-and-coming, well-regarded stunt performer named John Bernecker, 33, died in a troubling fall while filming an episode of The Walking Dead in Georgia. It was the first stunt death since 2002. Bernecker's case is still being investigated as questions linger about whether proper precautions were taken. In August, stuntman Justin Sundquist on CBS' MacGyver suffered a head injury and fell into a coma. Sundquist, who also was injured in 2016 while working on CBS' Hawaii Five-0, has emerged but has yet to return to work and has not spoken publicly about the accident. That same month, stuntwoman Laurie Harper filed a lawsuit against Sony Pictures Entertainment and other producers of the 2017 comedy Rough Night, alleging negligence.

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2018/10/stuntman_john_bernecker_seen_on_the_show_into_the_ badlands_died_on_the_set_of_the_walking_dead_in_ju ly-embed.jpg
John Bernecker/Facebook
Stuntman John Bernecker, seen on the show Into the Badlands, died on the set of The Walking Dead in July.

According to the complaint, producers and stunt crew failed to place safety pads under the sand on the New York beach where Harper, after crash-landing a Jet Ski traveling 28 miles an hour (the industry recommendation is 14 mph), fell and injured herself, suffering traumatic brain injury and leaving her "sick, sore, lame and disabled." To add insult to injury, the complaint states, the actual footage of Harper's accident was ultimately used in the film. "We've been seeing a lot of injuries lately," says Vickers. "There are no requirements within SAG [the guild covering stunt performers] that stipulate what you need to be a performer or a coordinator."

An official from SAG-AFTRA says that with the jump in both the number of productions and their geographical dispersion, there comes "an increased risk of unqualified stunt coordinators" who might be putting people's lives at risk. Given the backdrop of mounting injuries, Harris' death "was an eye-opener," says Cort Hessler, chair of the guild's Stunt and Safety Committee. (According to their lawyer, Harris' family is in discussions with 20th Century Fox, which appears interested in negotiating a financial settlement.)

SAG-AFTRA in mid-October issued a new measure to address concerns. The Stunt Coordinator Minimum General Standards Eligibility Process Guideline, an online registry for coordinators who can prove they have worked at least 500 days on set, will go online in January 2020. And while it has been lauded as a good first step, some acknowledge it doesn't go nearly far enough. For one, the new measure isn't mandatory, meaning any production, anywhere in the country, can continue to hire anyone it wants without fear of penalty or fine.

"Everybody and their brother is now saying they're stunt coordinators," says Jane Austin, president of SAG-AFTRA's Los Angeles local, who concedes that the new guidelines are meant to provide producers with a reference point for finding the most qualified candidates, and nothing more. "We're not keeping anyone from working. This is not a qualification in any way."

Even if it were, experience isn't always a guarantee of safety. Harris' death, for instance, occurred on a set full of experienced stunt coordinators. The director, David Leitch, is a former stuntman himself. "Every one of them on Deadpool 2 was highly qualified," says Pete Antico, a former SAG-AFTRA board member who for years has been critical of the guild's approach to safety. "And you want to know the horror of it? Nobody said no." Longtime stunt coordinator Conrad Palmisano says experience counts but that "the most important thing a stunt coordinator must possess is the ability to say no to a producer."

The U.K. and Australia maintain strict requirements for stunt workers. British stuntpeople have to obtain skill-specific certifications, and then they have to perform for several years before they can even be considered for coordinating jobs. Even then, there are restrictions. Coordinators in the U.K. must prove they can plan their own stunts before they're allowed to supervise other people. Nothing similar exists in the U.S., where SAG-AFTRA has placed the onus of safety on the producer, who is contractually bound to create a "safe" atmosphere on set.

"If you have a SAG card, you can work as an actor, a stuntperson or a stunt coordinator," says Andy Armstrong, a British coordinator. "Every other person in L.A. has a SAG card. It's absolutely insane. It's like having a flight attendant and saying she's so nice, she can pilot the next flight." The union provides comprehensive "guidelines" for how stunts should be conducted, but these are little more than nonbinding advisory bulletins. SAG-AFTRA counters that the bulletins are "widely respected" throughout the industry. They include recommendations on everything from how venomous snakes should be handled ("The snake handler should have a snake pinner") to smoke, cars and high falls. "It's complete B.S.," rails Antico. "There are no teeth in it. No fines. No suspension. It's like their sexual harassment guidelines. With no teeth, what good is it?"

***

For years, the stunt community was a small, tight-knit group. Most of them knew one another. The work could be dangerous, but people tended to come up learning from experienced peers. These days, "the person who was a waitress yesterday could tomorrow be in charge of safety with weapons," says Armstrong. "If that's not absurd, nothing is." A Facebook group called the Sarah Jones Safety Verification System, created in the wake of the 2014 death of camera operator Sarah Jones, who was killed on the Georgia set of Midnight Rider, has become a repository of terror-inducing videos showing unsafe practices. One clip shows a cameraman being dragged behind a fast-moving car. (A commenter posted, "This is an example of how not to operate a camera.") Another video shows someone standing in the middle of a road filming two high-speed motorcyclists and ducking out of the riders' way just centimeters away from being hit.

[GeneChing]

Stunt woman who lost an arm in horrific accident while standing in for Milla Jovovich for Resident Evil motorbike scene sues for £2.2million after her career was destroyed (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6486719/Stunt-woman-lost-arm-horrific-accident-sues-2-2m-career-destroyed.html)
Olivia Jackson, 37, was asked to perform a motorbike stunt on set in South Africa
She smashed into a camera which did not lift fast enough as she sped forward
Half of Olivia's face was torn off and her left arm had to be amputated
She is seeking £2.2m in damages after her £220k a year career was taken away
By JAMIE PYATT FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 04:02 EST, 12 December 2018 | UPDATED: 06:09 EST, 12 December 2018

Stunt woman Olivia Jackson who suffered horrific injuries in a nightmare accident on the set of Resident Evil is suing for over £2.2m after her film career was destroyed.

Super-fit Olivia, 37, pulled off death defying stunts and starred as a body double for Hollywood's top actresses in films including Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mad Max.

In 2015 while she was performing a motorcycle stunt on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa, she nearly lost her life in a horror accident.

Unexpected rain caused a fight scene she was due to appear in to be cancelled and she was instead told to stand in for actress Milla Jovovich in a high speed motorcycle stunt.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320978-6486719-Olivia_Jackson_35_in_hospital_before_her_withered_ left_arm_was_a-m-14_1544604536556.jpg
Olivia Jackson, 37, in hospital before her withered left arm was amputated (left) and afterwards (right)

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320990-6486719-image-a-4_1544603472955.jpg
Olivia (pictured before her accident) is a former professional Thai kick-boxer and continues to live an extremely active lifestyle despite her disability

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320984-6486719-image-a-3_1544603388237.jpg
Olivia and her British stuntman husband David Grant (Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars, Captain America) are both keen motorcycle riders

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7322516-6486719-image-m-19_1544605194770.jpg
Olivia was standing in for Milla Jovovich (pictured) while filming the latest Resident Evil movie in 2015

But the action shot went terribly wrong and she was thrown from her bike after a collision with a mechanical mobile film camera.

Her shocking list of injuries included having half her face torn off and having to have her left arm amputated and suffering serious brain swelling and severing a vital neck artery.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320986-6486719-An_X_ray_of_her_body_shows_the_catastrophic_extent _of_her_injuri-a-11_1544604114215.jpg
An X-ray of her body shows the catastrophic extent of her injuries which left the South African woman in a coma for 17 days fighting for her life

Olivia, married to a top British stunt man David Grant, was also left with a painfully twisted spine, a permanently dislocated shoulder, a severed thumb, punctured lungs and broken ribs.

The impact of the crash was so forceful that it broke dozens of her bones and was such that her left forearm was never found.

Three years on from the accident Olivia from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, has launched a legal fight in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, South Africa, for compensation for her injuries.

The stuntwoman had been tasked to ride a motorbike at high speed at a camera mounted on a mechanical arm on a Mercedes SUV which would be driving straight towards her.

The camera was to begin filming at ground level and then raise up and over Olivia's head as she drove the motorbike towards it for an action shot but it didn't raise up quickly enough.

Olivia, who was wearing a vest top, torn jacket and khaki jeans, was not required to wear a helmet for the stunt and the heavy camera slammed into her upper body and her face.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/10/7320976-6486719-Three_years_on_from_the_accident_Olivia_who_lives_ in_Amersham_Bu-a-31_1544610335147.jpg
Three years on from the accident Olivia who lives in Amersham, Bucks, has launched a legal fight in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, for compensation

The terribly injured former professional Thai kick boxer spent 17 days in a coma and doctors feared the worst but said her strength and fitness eventually helped save her life.

When she began to recover she received flowers and support whilst in intensive care from actress Milla Jovovich who she was doubling the stunts for on the Resident Evil film set.

Actresses Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley and Karen Gillan who Olivia has also body doubled for in stunts sent huge bouquets of flowers and personal messages to her.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320980-6486719-Olivia_suffered_a_painfully_twisted_spine_a_perman ently_dislocat-a-13_1544604211576.jpg
Olivia suffered a painfully twisted spine, a permanently dislocated shoulder, a severed thumb, punctured lungs and broken ribs, and her left arm could not be recovered (pictured after surgery)

Brave Olivia has catalogued her slow road to recovery on her own Instagram page but has had to come to terms with the fact that she will never work in the movie industry again.

Papers lodged at the Gauteng High Court show she is seeking more than R40million (£2.2m) in damages following the accident on a section of road near a dam at Pelindaba, Pretoria.

They show Olivia is suing the Road Accident Fund, the production and stunt company involved as well as the camera crane operator, the driver of the vehicle and the film director.

The paperwork states that when she was previously working in the UK she earned £20,000 a month and whilst working on the set of Resident Evil in South Africa was on £12,500 a month.

Cape Town born UK resident Olivia states that she has been rendered unemployable. The court case was adjourned and will be listed for a full hearing to take place next year.

Brave Olivia has catalogued her recovery from near death in moving Instagram posts on her personal account to fans.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

In one caption beside a photograph she posted of her twisted back on her public Instagram account Olivia wrote: 'This is the twisted upper body I'm left with from my accident.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320988-6486719-image-a-2_1544603350266.jpg
The stunning stunt woman is married to British stunt man David Grant and they live in Amersham, Bucks, together

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320982-6486719-image-m-10_1544603817769.jpg
Before her accident she earned £20,000 a month while living in Amersham and whilst working on the set of Resident Evil in South Africa was on £12,500 a month

'Scew spine, off centred neck (the most painful part), twisted shoulder blade, permanently dislocated shoulder, 1 arm, muscle atrophy on the left hand side of my core and plenty more other treats.

'I don't mean to moan but sometimes I must want to crawl out of my own skin & all the pains in it'.

Another emotional photograph Olivia shared is a 'before' photo of her left hand appearing enormously swollen with a withered left arm and 'after' shot which showed the arm amputation.

She wrote to her Instagram fans: 'Goodbye to my withered arm, hello my stump. Not how I planned my life to go but just go to embrace what I have & move onwards and upwards.

'Luckily I have an awesome supportive team behind me' she said.

Husband David from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, who has done stunts in dozens of Hollywood blockbusters met Olivia on a set and kept a bedside vigil with her while she was in a coma.

In an interview back at their home in Amersham, Bucks, Olivia told the Sunday Mirror: 'Sometimes when I catch a sight of my stump in the mirror I feel a wave of sadness.

'There's no point in feeling down about life – it won't make my arm grow back. I used to miss my old face but now I style my hair to fall forwards to hide the big scar'.

In a You Tube film interview with Neale James she described what she remembered of the life changing accident.

Olivia said: 'I was doubling for an actress who was a zombie killer who saves the world. We were shooting motorcycle stuff and I had to ride towards a vehicle coming towards me.

'There was a Mercedes SUV with a crane on the side of it and a camera at the end of the crane which moves around and I was supposed to drive towards the camera vehicle.

'It was coming in the opposite direction with the camera starting on the floor and it was supposed to lift up and go over me but they just didn't lift the camera up in time.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/12/08/7320974-6486719-image-a-9_1544603769409.jpg
In one of her Instagram posts after the accident, Olivia wrote: 'I don't mean to moan but sometimes I must want to crawl out of my own skin & all the pains in it'

'I went straight into it and it hit me on my face and shoulder. I remember the day up until a few seconds before it happened but luckily your brain switches it off for you' she said.

In another interview she revealed she is in constant pain three years on from the accident.

Olivia, who was newlywed when injured, said: 'It is so tempting to hate the people that did this to me but I try to rather use that energy to focus on getting better and staying positive'.

And in an Instagram pic on husband David's site Olivia wrote: 'We have built an amazing home together with two fluffy kids and he loves me even though I am a one armed bandit!'

The court case for compensation will be heard in early 2019 and stunt woman Olivia is expected to be present.

She is suing Canada based independent film production company Davis/Impact Films, Cape Town based Pyranha Stunts, stunt co-ordinator Grant Hully and the camera tracking company Bickers Action SA.

THREADS
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)
resident evil (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52689-resident-evil)

[GeneChing]

The showrunners, not stunt people. :(


Cal/OSHA Opens Investigation Into ‘L.A.’s Finest’ Accident (https://deadline.com/2019/02/la-finest-accident-osha-investigation-1202563069/)
by David Robb
February 22, 2019 1:58pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/brandon-margolis-brandon-sonnier-2.jpg?w=446&h=299&crop=1
Nino Munoz/NBC/Sony Television

Cal/OSHA has opened an investigation into Thursday’s accident on the set of LA’s Finest that injured the Spectrum/Sony Pictures TV series’ co-showrunners Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier.

“Cal/OSHA was notified by Mesquite Productions and LA Port Police on Thursday of a workplace accident that occurred on set during the filing of LA’s Finest in San Pedro. Today Cal/OSHA opened an inspection of Mesquite Productions,” agency spokesman Luke Brown told Deadline.

Mesquite Productions is a company controlled by Sony Pictures TV.

Margolis and Sonnier were injured when, at 1:35 PM PT Thursday near Warehouse One at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, a stunt car crashed into the video village where the pair were watching the scene on monitors. Both were transported to local hospitals — San Pedro Peninsula and Harbor UCLA — with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Margolis has since been released; Sonnier has been transferred to another facility.

“We had two injuries, one being worse than the other,” Lt. Philip Heem, of the Los Angeles Port Police, told Deadline on Thursday night.

Production on the series was halted in the wake of the crash and the set was dark again today, with no decision yet when shooting will resume. The series, a Bad Boys offshoot starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba, was in the last couple of days of shooting its first season, which is slated to premiere May 13 on Spectrum as its first original series.

Margolis and Sonnier wrote and executive produced the pilot episode in addition to serving as co-showrunners on the series alongside Pam Veasey.

[GeneChing]

So terrible but at least he survived.



‘L.A.’s Finest’ Co-Showrunner Has Leg Partially Amputated As Questions Mount About Horrific On-Set Accident (https://deadline.com/2019/02/las-finest-accident-showrunner-leg-amputated-brandon-sonnier-tv-series-1202566677/?fbclid=IwAR1ICGfYDX400S_26gqOiV7GoDGqK_gqoSFw1DKY 2wbpgpqu8gxg-IZagWo)
by Nellie Andreeva • tip
February 27, 2019 5:12pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/l-a-s-finest.jpg?w=446&h=299&crop=1
Sony TV

Brandon Sonnier’s life was forever changed last Thursday when the L.A.’s Finest executive producer/co-showrunner, along with fellow EP/co-showrunner Brandon Margolis, were injured on the set of the upcoming Spectrum/Sony Pictures TV series. Both were rushed to the hospital, but while Margolis was quickly released, Sonnier’s injury was so severe he had to have one of his legs amputated just below the knee, I have learned. He remains hospitalized, surrounded by family.

According to sources, Sonnier, Margolis and other producers were in the video village area on the San Pedro set, where they were watching a car stunt scene on monitors. A stunt car reportedly crashed into a cargo crate, with the container and/or the car smashing into the video village, which had been set up behind the crate. There was immediate fear for Sonnier’s leg as sources on the set indicated it may have been pinned.

As doctors were fighting to save Sonnier’s leg, questions began to mount about the accident. The biggest is why the video village was set up in such close proximity to the stunt scene, which was filmed on location near Warehouse One at the Port of Los Angeles. Cal/OSHA was notified and immediately opened an investigation into the incident; its findings will likely provide insight into what went wrong.

It may have been a freak accident, but if additional safeguards need to be placed on film and TV sets so it never happens again, that should be done. No writer, cast, or crew member should be going to work fearing for their safety.

L.A.’s Finest, an offshoot from the Bad Boys movies and starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba, marked Sonnier’s big TV break. It is his and Margolis’ first series as creators after the two worked as writer-producers on NBC’s The Blacklist. They are also under an overall deal at Sony TV, which produces both L.A.’s Finest and The Blacklist.

[GeneChing]

Always sorry to hear this. And I thought F&F9 was mostly CGI. I suppose there's danger in any stunt.


GLOBAL JULY 22, 2019 9:51AM PT
‘Fast & Furious 9’ Production Halted After Stuntman Injured in Fall on Set (https://variety.com/2019/film/global/fast-and-furious-9-production-halted-stuntman-injury-1203275299/)
By STEWART CLARKE
International Correspondent
@varietystewart

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/the-fast-and-the-furious.jpg?w=1000&h=562&crop=1
CREDIT: MOVIESTORE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

An accident on the set of Universal’s “Fast & Furious 9” in the United Kingdom has left a stuntman in the hospital with a serious head injury. Production on the movie has halted at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, near London.

“We had an injury on the set of ‘FAST 9’ today in Leavesden with one of our stuntmen,” a Universal spokesperson confirmed to Variety on Monday. “We have halted production for the day to focus on this situation.”

Police said they were called to an incident shortly before noon U.K. time and an air ambulance was duly called out.

“An ambulance, three ambulance officer vehicles and Essex and Herts [Hertfordshire] Air Ambulance were called to Leavesden Studios shortly before midday today (July 22), following reports of a man injured in a fall. One patient with a serious head injury was transported to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance,” authorities said in a statement.

“Fast & Furious 9” is scheduled to open in May 2020. It will star Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron. Whether any of the stars were on set when the accident took place is not yet known.

The accident is the latest in a series of recent incidents at the studio. In June a man sustained a neck injury and was hospitalized after an altercation with another crew member on the set of Anne Hathaway’s “The Witches.” A huge fire damaged one of the sets of HBO series “Avenue 5” earlier this month. Since then, unspecified “foreign bodies” have been discovered in food at a restaurant at the studio and police are investigating.

Leavesden was the base for the Harry Potter movies. It is now home to the popular Harry Potter studio tour. With studio space in demand in the U.K., an expansion program is underway.

THREADS
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)
Fast and Furious 9 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70501-Fast-amp-Furious-9)

[GeneChing]

Orange Is the New Black Star Ruby Rose in a Wheelchair After Undergoing Back Surgery (https://people.com/health/ruby-rose-wheelchair-back-surgery/)

Ruby Rose has revealed she will be confirmed to a wheelchair as she recovers from back surgery – but she wants to let her fans know she'll "be fine"

By Alexia Fernandez January 18, 2018 09:11 PM

Duration
0:15

Ruby Rose has revealed she will be confirmed to a wheelchair as she recovers from back surgery – but she wants to let her fans know she’ll “be fine.”

The actress and model, 31, shared a photo on Twitter Thursday of herself sitting in the wheelchair wearing a white T-shirt with the words “Strong Female Lead” and red plaid pants.

Rose said she went under the knife to try to address a long-standing health issue.

“So..For the past few years (decade) I’ve been dealing with a spine issue,” she wrote. “I am now recovering from a back procedure, but I do need to stay active, so before I get seen with my cane and wheel chair in public, I’d rather put it out there that I’m fine and going to be fine.”

So..For the past few years (decade) I’ve been dealing with a spine issue. I am now recovering from a back procedure, but I do need to stay active, so before I get seen with my cane and wheel chair in public, I’d rather put it out there that I’m fine and going to be fine. pic.twitter.com/7nVw5fIk3k

— Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) January 18, 2018

What I need to know now is when I’m not wheeling around LA like a 102 year old, what movies, shows, books and video games do you suggest… I’m buying a switch.. I’m looking at you @chrissyteigen what games should I get?

— Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) January 18, 2018

Not one to rest on her laurels, the Orange Is the New Black star asked fans and friend Chrissy Teigen for good recommendations on TV shows, books and games that could keep her entertained while she was recovering.

“What I need to know now is when I’m not wheeling around LA like a 102 year old, what movies, shows, books and video games do you suggest… I’m buying a switch.. I’m looking at you @chrissyteigen what games should I get?”



Martha Hunt
✔
@MarthaHunt
Ouch.. Stay strong Ruby!!!

236
12:42 PM - Jan 18, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy
23 people are talking about this
Model Martha Hunt shared her well wishes on Twitter, writing, “Ouch.. Stay strong Ruby!!!”

Rose also shared that she was “blinging” her cane and walker as it was “the tan and nude colors” – and that bothers her.

Well, I’m currently blinging my cane and walker up.. so they can be more snazzy. It’s not the Cane and my A frame that’s the problem, it’s the tan and nude colors.. all I need is a boombox and streamers and I’m good.

— Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) January 18, 2018

“Well, I’m currently blinging my cane and walker up.. so they can be more snazzy. It’s not the Cane and my A frame that’s the problem, it’s the tan and nude colors.. all I need is a boombox and streamers and I’m good,” she wrote to a Twitter user who questioned why she felt 102-years-old.

Rose takes pride in her body and slammed body shamers in October after her Instagram followers said she looked “anorexic” at the CFDA/Vogue Fund Fashion Show.

“Body shaming S— ME. It’s so frustrating,” Rose wrote in a note posted to her Instagram story. “Not because I care what someone thinks of my body. I love my body when I don’t work out and I am soft and I love it when I train hard and feel strong.”

“I hate it because it worries fans or shames them. I hate it because it uses no logic and basically is just someone projecting their experience and expectations on others.”

Rose said she takes time and energy to take care of her body by leading a vegan and alcohol-free diet.

“I am plant based and stupidly healthy,” she said. “… So please take care of your body and your mind and your soul and stop judging others.”


Ruby Rose undergoes emergency surgery after stunt injury almost leaves her paralyzed (https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/entertainment/ruby-rose-surgery-trnd/index.html)
By Alaa Elassar, CNN
Updated 8:16 PM ET, Sun September 29, 2019
Ruby Rose as Kate Kane -- Photo: Elizabeth Morris/The CW -- © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

(CNN)Ruby Rose has undergone emergency surgery after a serious injury left her at risk of being paralyzed, the actress and model said on Instagram.
The "Orange is the New Black" star documented the experience and, to some viewers' horror, it includes graphic video of her surgery.
"To anyone asking why I let them video it..Did you not watch that Greys anatomy episode where they left a towel in a patient??" Rose joked in the video caption. "Also I wanted to see what happens when we go under."
Rose said she herniated two discs while performing stunts a couple months ago. The injury came close to severing her spinal cord, leaving her in "chronic pain" and unable to feel her arms.
This is not the first time Rose has undergone serious surgery. Last January, Rose revealed she was wheelchair-bound after going through a back procedure for her spinal issues, according to People.
Rose is set to debut as "Batwoman" in The CW series which premieres on October 6.

THREADS
Batwoman (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71151-Batwoman)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

Milla Jovovich's 'Resident Evil' Stunt Double Speaks Out on Crash That Left Her Partially Paralyzed (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/milla-jovovichs-resident-evil-stunt-double-olivia-jackson-crash-left-her-partially-paralyzed-1240608)
8:45 AM PDT 9/18/2019 by Scott Johnson

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2019/09/resident_evil-_the_final_chapter_inset_of_olivia_jackson-_photofest_-publicity-_h_2019.jpg
Screen Gems/Photofest; Courtesy of NFLawFirm
Milla Jovovich in 2016's 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' (inset: Olivia Jackson)

"Numerous things were changed at the last minute that I wasn’t aware of," says Olivia Jackson of the September 2015 on-set motorcycle accident.

For 17 days after a horrific incident left her severely injured and partially paralyzed, stunt performer Olivia Jackson suffered from nightmares and hallucinations while in a medically induced coma.

In one of these visions, Jackson was being jerked around a bridge at lightning speed while tethered by rope to a motorcycle.

Of all the dreams she had, that one bore a passing resemblance to the real-life event that landed the former model and Cape Town native in the hospital after the first day of shooting began on Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in her home country in September 2015.

“You just have the deepest, the darkest, the heaviest hallucinations and nightmares, one after the other,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter during an interview. “They’re so vivid, so real, you think that’s reality.”

Last week Jackson filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court against the film’s director, Paul Anderson, producer Jeremy Bolt and production companies Tannhauser Gate Inc, Impact Pictures and Bolt Pictures behind the blockbuster franchise, which has brought in upward of a billion dollars at the box office. The suit is seeking unspecified damages. None of the companies responded to a request for comment.

"Olivia has confronted her devastating injuries with relentless courage, but she continues to face immense physical and emotional challenges," states Jackson's attorney, Gabe Barenfeld. "Olivia deserves full financial support to aid her in this ongoing battle."

Speaking from her home in the U.K., where she lives with her husband Dave Grant, also a stunt performer, Jackson says she only took the job as Milla Jovovich’s stunt double at the last minute, after another stunt performer got injured.

A former Muay Thai fighter who had a special expertise with motorbiking, Jackson was a good fit for the movie. She had plenty of experience on blockbuster action movies, doubling for actress Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Mad Max: Fury Road and performing stunts in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. I.

She says she took the Resident Evil job while waiting for production to begin on another movie she had signed up for, the then-upcoming Wonder Woman, which would be filming back home in the U.K.

The crew had been rehearsing a fight scene for weeks when, on the day shooting was to begin, Jackson learned that the fight scene they’d been rehearsing was to be replaced with another, unrelated sequence.

This one involved riding a motorcycle at full speed toward an action van mounted with a crane-mounted camera that would itself be traveling full speed in her direction. After a couple of takes that went well, Jackson started the third, live run.

Only this time, unbeknownst to her, some key elements of the stunt had been changed, according to the lawsuit.

“Numerous things were changed at the last minute that I wasn’t aware of,” she says, “Which resulted in the crane operator not lifting the crane in time and basically driving it straight into my left arm and left shoulder.”

She was rushed to the hospital where staff induced a coma. Jackson survived, but was left with monumental physical and emotional scars. The camera had ripped a portion of her jaw off, leaving her teeth exposed. She suffered nerve damage to her spine and her left arm was amputated above her elbow.

“It’s had such a huge impact on every single part of my life, my body is so physically damaged and a lot of it beyond repair,” she says, “Every single moment of my time I’ve got nerve pain.”

The upper-right quadrant of her body remains paralyzed, along with a portion of her face, and she says she has a "droopy eye" with a pupil that refuses to dilate.

Jackson says she’s doing her best to recover, and has started to resume a physical regimen that includes kickboxing. She also volunteers at an equestrian center that helps elderly people with dementia. And she meditates, which she says helps with the pain.

“One of the hardest things is I lost the life I loved,” she says, “I knew that I would never work again. I loved my job with all my heart.”


SCOTT JOHNSON
THRnews@thr.com
@scott_c_johnson


THREADS
resident evil (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52689-resident-evil)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

I copied some posts from the Deadpool 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69436-Deadpool-2) thread about Joi over to the Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths), so you'll find that info on both threads now.


OCTOBER 2, 2019 3:45PM PT
Fox Safety Errors Contributed to Fatal ‘Deadpool’ Crash, Report Finds (https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/worksafe-bc-report-deadpool-2-joi-harris-fox-errors-1203356611/)
By GENE MADDAUS
Senior Media Writer
@GeneMaddaus

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/joi-harris1.png?w=1000&h=561&crop=1
CREDIT: COURTESY OF PORSCHE TAYLOR

Twentieth Century Fox committed several safety errors that contributed to the fatal motorcycle crash on the set of “Deadpool 2,” according to a British Columbia workplace safety investigation.

Joi Harris, a stunt rider, was killed on Aug. 14, 2017, when she lost control of her motorcycle and crashed into the side of a building in downtown Vancouver.

Investigators from WorkSafe B.C. allege that the studio made a long list of errors, including failing to assess the risks of the stunt, failing to allow her to wear a helmet, and failing to set up barriers that would have kept her motorcycle inside the film set.

The agency said it is now considering what penalty should be assessed.

In a statement, a Fox spokesperson took issue with the report, and said that the studio had stepped up its safety measures in the wake of Harris’ death.

“Safety is our top priority, and while we respectfully disagree with some of the report’s findings, Fox thoroughly reviewed its stunt safety protocols immediately following the tragic accident and has revised and implemented enhanced safety procedures and enforcement,” the spokesperson said.

Michael Buckley, an attorney representing Harris’ family, confirmed in April that the family had settled all claims against the studio. “The folks at 21st Century Fox were very professional and responsible in the manner in which they addressed our client’s claim,” Buckley said at the time.

Harris had experience as a motorcycle track racer, but had not done film stunts before. The accident report alleges that Fox failed to give her a new worker orientation, which would have covered safety measures such as wearing a helmet.

According to the report, several other stunt performers saw Harris’ “stabbing” or “grabbing” at the motorcycles brakes during rehearsals, causing the bike to skid unsafely. An additional ramp was added to give her more room to brake safely, before the fatal stunt occurred.

The report cites a regulation that mandated that riders wear helmets. Following the crash, all stunt performers wore helmets during motorcycle shots.

[GeneChing]

Ruby Rose Opened Up About Her "Terrifying" Neck Surgery For An Injury That Almost Paralyzed Her (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/ruby-rose-neck-surgery-interview-batwoman)
"I wanted to talk about it because Hollywood — and the world at large, I guess — we always try to make out like everything is effortless," the Batwoman actor said.
Ellie Hall
BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on September 30, 2019, at 1:28 p.m. ET

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2019-09/30/17/asset/fdc5908ce42e/sub-buzz-333-1569865009-1.jpg?crop=2000%3A2105%3B0%2C427&downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto
JJ Reddington for BuzzFeed News

Ruby Rose said Monday that she decided to publicly discuss her recent neck surgery to combat the entertainment industry's expectations of actors.

Rose, 33, was injured performing stunts while filming Batwoman, which premieres Sunday on the CW.

"I wanted to talk about it because Hollywood — and the world at large, I guess — we always try to make out like everything is effortless and everything is about kind of being perfect and being a certain way," the actor told BuzzFeed News during an appearance on AM to DM. "I think in Hollywood it's sort of like you're meant to be young and beautiful and strong and good at all these different things. And it's kind of like, we're also human beings. And I wanted to embrace the fact that, yeah, no, I have a Pez dispenser scar."

Rose shared the news that she'd undergone an emergency surgery on Instagram on Friday.

"A couple of months ago, I was told I needed an emergency surgery or I was risking becoming paralyzed," she said. "I had herniated two discs doing stunts, and they were close to severing my spinal [cord]."

Leading up to the surgery, Rose said, she was in chronic pain and couldn't feel her arms.

She shared graphic footage of her surgery on Instagram, as well as a more SFW version featuring her surgeon on YouTube.

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2019-09/30/16/asset/0a0099267d87/sub-buzz-234-1569862359-1.png?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto
Ruby Rose / Instagram / YouTube

Rose told BuzzFeed News that the procedure was "terrifying" because there was a chance that it might leave her paralyzed if something went wrong — but there was also "a really high chance" that she would be paralyzed without the surgery.

In fact, she waited to talk about her surgery in part because of her fear of complications.

"I didn't tell anyone for a long time because I didn't want to distract from the show. I didn't want to have people worried about me," she said. "I didn't want to talk about it and be like, 'Hey, I did this great surgery and it's great' — and then have it [fail] and be like, 'Just kidding, it didn't work out, guys.'"

Rose added: "I want to talk about it because I've lived and it's something that I'm proud of and it's something that means a lot. It also reminded me to slow my roll, slow down a little. There's a lot of people out there who have to get much worse surgeries than this, and I would rather talk about it than pretend that it didn't happen."

Watch Ruby Rose's interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgwH0awYomA

Ellie Hall is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC.
Contact Ellie Hall at ellie.hall@buzzfeed.com.

THREADS
Batwoman (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71151-Batwoman)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

More on Bernecker here. (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths&p=1311336#post1311336)


OCTOBER 10, 2019 11:51AM PT
Judge Rules Against AMC in ‘Walking Dead’ Stuntman Death (https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/john-bernecker-trial-amc-stuntman-walking-dead-summary-judgment-rulings-1203366199/)
By GENE MADDAUS
Senior Media Writer
@GeneMaddaus

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/john-bernecker.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1
CREDIT: COURTESY OF JOHN BERNECKER'S FACEBOOK

A judge has rejected AMC Networks’ claim that it cannot be held responsible for the death of John Bernecker, a stuntman who fell to his death on the set of “The Walking Dead” in 2017.

Bernecker’s family filed suit in January 2018, alleging that the network cut corners on safety precautions. A trial is scheduled to be begin in state court in Gwinnett County, Ga., on Dec. 9.

In motions filed in August, attorneys for AMC argued that Bernecker was in control of the stunt, and directed the placement of pads that would cushion his fall. Bernecker flipped over a railing and fell 21 feet, just missing the pads. He landed on his head, and died the next day at a hospital. AMC argued that under Georgia law, Bernecker had assumed the risks of the fall, and therefore AMC could not be held liable.

“While his death is undoubtedly tragic, under controlling Georgia law, the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk bars Plaintiffs’ claims against each of the Defendants because Bernecker, a professional stuntman, understood and appreciated the dangers and risks associated with the high fall and voluntarily attempted the stunt without coercion,” the AMC attorneys wrote.

Attorneys for Berneckers’ parents argued that Bernecker was distracted because the other actor in the scene pushed him unexpectedly, and that therefore Bernecker could not have fully accepted the risks.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Judge Emily Brantley rejected AMC’s argument, saying it was “patently obvious” that a jury will have to determine whether Bernecker had sufficient knowledge of the risks to make AMC immune from liability.

AMC also argued that it cannot be held liable because the production was handled by another company, Stalwart Films.

“There is no evidence to support a finding that the AMC Defendants owed Bernecker a legal duty of any kind,” AMC’s attorneys argued in a motion for summary judgment. “The AMC Defendants did not have any relationship, contractual or otherwise, with Bernecker. The AMC Defendants also did not direct or control the method and manner in which Bernecker’s stunt was performed.”

In response, the plaintiffs argued that AMC was ultimately responsible for the show. They also pointed to a safety manual created by AMC for the show, which stated, “AMC is a company that acknowledges our accountability and responsibility for safe production.”

Brantley ruled against AMC on Oct. 2, finding that the plaintiffs had shown sufficient connection between AMC and the production to allow the matter to go before a jury. Brantley also rejected AMC’s bid to prevent the plaintiffs’ expert, veteran stuntman Conrad Palmisano, from testifying at trial.

The parties have agreed that punitive damages in the case are capped at $250,000 under Georgia law, as there was no specific intent to cause harm.

AMC issued a statement in response to the rulings:

“This was a tragic accident,” the company said. “While we continue to believe our motions for summary judgment were appropriate and supported by the facts in this case and the law, we respect the Court’s decision — without making any determination on the merits of either side’s arguments — to allow the case to proceed.”

[GeneChing]

‘Cowboy Bebop’: Netflix Series Shuts Down Production For 7-9 Months Following Star John Cho On-Set Injury (https://deadline.com/2019/10/cowboy-bebop-netflix-series-shuts-down-production-7-9-months-hiatus-star-john-cho-on-set-injury-1202764024/)
By Nellie Andreeva
October 18, 2019 3:30pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/john-cho-main.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
David Buchan/Shutterstock

Netflix’s upcoming live-action series Cowboy Bebop is going on a lengthy hiatus following a knee injury sustained by lead John Cho on the set of the show in New Zealand.

Sources describe the injury as a freak accident that happened on the last take of a routine and well-rehearsed scene almost two weeks ago. It requires surgery, for which Cho has been flown back to Los Angeles, and an extensive rehabilitation. The production shutdown is expected to last seven to nine months. The new filming schedule will be set once Cho’s prognosis is clear.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/cowboy-bebop.jpg?w=328&h=220
Sunrise

Cowboy Bebop, an adaptation of the cult Japanese animated series, was a few episodes into production on its 10-episode order when the accident happened. Netflix marked the show’s start of production last week with a behind-the-scene video which featured Cho (you can watch it below).

Being relatively early into filming would allow Netflix to recast the role, but I hear the streamer is fully committed to Cho in the title role, willing to wait until late spring/early summer to resume filming, along with the logistical challenges that presents.

“Our thoughts are with John, and he has our complete support as he recuperates from this injury,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline.

Following Deadline’s story, Cho posted a message on Instagram, quoting the great Bruce Lee, thanking fans for their well wishes, and vowing to be “back and flowing in no time”.

johnthecho (https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xws3PDBZC/?utm_source=ig_embed)
Verified
•

https://scontent-sjc3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/9383b83df0485849360a270e1d50c206/5E493CE9/t51.2885-15/e35/72151850_527641604680545_6156123232264238941_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109

johnthecho
Verified
“Water can flow or it can crash.” - Bruce Lee

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Gonna be back and flowing in no time!

The space western hails from Tomorrow Studios, Marty Adelstein’s joint venture with ITV Studios; Midnight Radio (Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg); writer Chris Yost; and Sunrise, the studio behind the original series.

Written/executive produced by Yost based on the worldwide phenomenon, Cowboy Bebop is the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel (Cho), an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit and style to spare, and his ragtag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world — for the right price.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/netflix-logo-print_cmyk-e1559068171400.jpg?w=304&h=171
Netflix

Nemec, Appelbaum, Pinkner and Rosenberg executive produce via Midnight Radio and serve as showrunners. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements executive produce for Tomorrow Studios. Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise also executive produce alongside Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg. Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, serves as consultant.

Cowboy Bebop is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios; with Netflix handling physical production.

Cowboy Bebop, considered one of the best anime series of all time, produced 26 episodes and aired in Japan from 1998-99. It has done well internationally, garnering several anime and science fiction awards, and is credited with helping to introduce anime to a new wave of Western viewers. In the U.S., it aired on Adult Swim.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gPQDyOixQ

THREADS
Live-Action Cowboy Bebop (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71266-Live-Action-Cowboy-Bebop)
Stunts - injuries & deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths) (assuming it was a stunt-related injury)

[GeneChing]

I did not know Cheryl Sanders personally, but many in my circles did. How tragic.


Deadly Greene County shooting involves stunt woman, her husband and ex (https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime--law/deadly-greene-county-shooting-involves-stunt-woman-her-husband-and/PSsB7VQWJpSdEfuIO5IW2J/?fbclid=IwAR0nJHvoRvNv3nfCZq-PwWjKIaFvuIkcbsuSFw623RkBFtYfQoEaqcNUrcQ)
CRIME 5 hours ago
By Parker Perry, Staff Writer

MIAMI TWP., GREENE COUNTY —
The Greene County shooting that left two people dead Wednesday outside a million dollar home near Yellow Springs involved an ex-husband who allegedly fatally shot his former Hollywood stunt woman ex-wife and her current husband.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/rf/image_large/Pub/p11/DaytonDailyNews/2020/02/13/Images/wheelers.JPG

RELATED: Sheriff reveals names, new details in shootingGreene County officials declined to name the resident who allegedly shot and killed the two people who reportedly came onto his property with guns and who were using a camera system to monitor activity there.They did identify the resident’s ex-wife as Cheryl Sanders, who was a celebrity spokeswoman and stunt woman who appeared on the cover of Healthy Living Magazine.Her current husband, Robert Reed Sanders, also was killed in the shooting.RELATED: What we know today about the double-fatal shooting near Yellow Springs

Cheryl Sanders wrote online that she moved from martial arts and kickboxing to a career as a stunt woman in the 1980s.She said was the stunt double for Brooke Shields, Sharon Stone and other A-list actresses.She doubled for Rene Russo in “The Thomas Crown Affair” and the “Lethal Weapon” series, jumped into a speedboat for Kathleen Turner in “V.I. Warshawski” and flew into the courthouse window in “Back to the Future Part II,” according to the Denver Post. A 20-foot fall on the set of “Back to the Future Part II” brought her Hollywood career to a halt in 1989, according to the Denver Post. The bones in her face, right arm and hand were shattered when she hit the concrete after a cable was released during a flying stunt. She later returned to Hollywood after changing to a healthy lifestyle that included supplements and diet changes. She did stunt double work for Jessica Alba in 2016.Robert Reed Sanders had been licensed in real estate in Texas. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Thursday the man had a criminal record, but he did not elaborate.

[GeneChing]

Stuntwoman Who Appeared in Back to the Future Part II Is Killed Along with Husband in Shootout (https://people.com/crime/stuntwoman-who-appeared-in-back-to-the-future-part-ii-is-killed-along-with-husband-in-shootout/)
The deadly incident unfolded outside a million-dollar home near Yellow Springs
By Chris Harris February 14, 2020 12:41 PM

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeopledotcom.files.wordpre ss.com%2F2020%2F02%2Frobert-reed-cheryl-sanders.jpg
ZENFORMULAS.COM

An Ohio woman who made her living doing stunts for Hollywood legends like Kathleen Turner and Rene Russo was killed Wednesday in a shootout that also took the life of her husband, according to reports.

The deadly incident unfolded outside a million-dollar home near Yellow Springs, and involved a third individual who has not been formally identified.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the police say the unidentified man fatally shot his ex-wife, Cheryl Sanders, 59, and her current husband, Robert Reed Sanders, 56, after they allegedly trespassed on his property.

The unnamed ex-husband has not been charged with a crime.

Police are still investigating what motivated the couple to show up armed at the unidentified man’s residence, WDTN reports.

Cheryl Sanders was a Hollywood stuntwoman who did stunt double work for Jessica Alba, and appeared in the film Back to the Future II.

She was also the stunt double for Brooke Shields and Sharon Stone, and did stunts for Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair and the Lethal Weapon series.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

She was also Kathleen Turner’s stunt double in V.I. Warshawski.

Sanders and her husband, a realtor, once appeared on the cover of Healthy Living Magazine.


By Chris Harris
@chrisharrisment

There's something horribly ironic about a stunt person being killed in a shoot out. So tragic.

[Jimbo]

I remembered her as Cheryl Wheeler. Back in the ‘80s, she was featured in the MA mags as a kickboxer, and IIRC even won a decision over Graciela Casillas.

Sadly, this reminds me of another woman, a once well-known karate competitor from Texas who was featured in Black Belt magazine back in the ‘70s, who in later years developed a mental illness and was shot to death after she broke into a stranger’s house. I can’t remember her name.

[GeneChing]

Kung Fu people tend to look down one wire work, but stunt rigging is hard work.


Aug 25, 2021 11:11am PT
Letitia Wright Hospitalized After Stunt Rig Accident While Shooting ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (https://variety.com/2021/film/news/letitia-wright-hospitalized-black-panther-wakanda-forever-1235049077/)

By Jordan Moreau
https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/letitia-wright.jpg
Channel 4
Letitia Wright has been hospitalized with minor injuries after a stunt rig accident on the set of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

“Letitia Wright sustained minor injuries today while filming a stunt for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’ She is currently receiving care in a local hospital and is expected to be released soon,” a spokesperson for Marvel said in a statement to Variety.

The film shoot was happening overnight in Boston, while the production for the “Black Panther” sequel is based in Atlanta. There is currently no impact to the movie’s shooting schedule.

In the first “Black Panther” movie, Wright was introduced as Shuri, the genius inventor and younger sister to T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. She also appeared in the MCU team-up films “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

Production on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler, began in June 2021. Plot and cast details are being kept under wraps, but it’s expected that the main cast members Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba and Angela Bassett will return for the sequel to the Oscar-nominated movie.

Variety exclusively revealed last month that “I May Destroy You” creator and star Michaela Coel joined the cast in an unknown role. Additionally, it was revealed last week that Dominique Thorne, who will play the up-and-coming superhero Ironheart in her own Disney Plus TV series, will be introduced in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” ahead of her TV debut.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will come to theaters on July 8, 2022.

threads
Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71012-Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever)
Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)

[GeneChing]

Good statement from Brandon Bruce Lee's twitter. Brandon was the first person I thought of when I heard this news.


Sheriff: Alec Baldwin Discharged Prop Firearm That Left Cinematographer Dead and Director Wounded (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alec-baldwin-rust-movie-incident-1235035095/)
An investigation is underway and no charges have been filed, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.

BY TRILBY BERESFORD, RYAN PARKER
OCTOBER 21, 2021 4:56PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/alec_baldwin.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
JIM SPELLMAN/GETTY IMAGES

A prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin on the New Mexico movie set of Rust, killing a cinematographer and wounding the director, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.

Director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, died Thursday after being injured when the prop gun was “discharged” by Baldwin, the Western’s producer and star. Hutchins had been transported by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s department said.

A spokesperson from Rust said in a statement: “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

The Ukraine-born, Los Angeles-based DP graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2015. Her credits included indie films Archenemy, Blindfire and The Mad Hatter.

The second victim was the film’s director, Joel Souza, 48, who was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Juan Ríos, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told THR on Thursday evening that he was in critical condition, However, on Friday morning, Ríos said his condition is unclear and referred to the hospital for that information.

An update on the investigation will likely not occur until next week, Ríos said, as interviews are ongoing and evidence is being collected. Baldwin was interviewed Thursday by investigators at the sheriff’s department, Ríos said.

Directors Guild of America president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement that the DGA is “incredibly saddened” to hear of Hutchins’ death and Souza’s injuries. “We await further details and a full investigation. Our hearts go out to Halyna’s family, to Joel, and to everyone impacted.”

Ríos told The Hollywood Reporter that an active investigation was underway and no charges have been filed.

“According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.”

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 1:50 p.m. MT after a 911 call indicated an individual had been shot on set.

A spokesperson from the production said the “accident” involved the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. “Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority,” the initial statement said.

The Local 600 labor union, of which Hutchins was a member, said in a statement, “The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

Firearm accidents on Hollywood sets are extremely rare, but do occur. In 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of famed martial arts star Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot and killed on the set of The Crow by another actor who fired a revolver that had been improperly prepared.

In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum was involved in a prop gun incident on the set of CBS’ Cover Up. During a break in filming, Hexum accidentally shot himself while playing with the firearm, not realizing a blank was still in the prop gun. He died from his injuries six days later at the age of 26.

The official Twitter page for Brandon Bruce Lee posted: “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on “Rust”. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”

In Rust, Baldwin stars as infamous Western outlaw Harland Rust. When his estranged grandson is convicted of an accidental murder and sentenced to hang, Rust travels to Kansas to break him out of prison. The two fugitives must then outrun U.S. Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang.

The film also stars Frances Fisher, Jensen Ackles and Travis Fimmel.


Oct. 22, 7:51 a.m. Updated to reflect Joel Souza’s condition is unknown.
10:10 p.m. Updated with statement from the DGA.

[GeneChing]

I'm splitting this off from the Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths/) into its own indie thread - Rust: accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72174-Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins) - and tagging our Brandon-Lee (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17174-Question-about-Brandon-Lee) thread too because this triggers that memory so much.


Ernie Hudson Heartbroken Over ‘Rust’ Shooting, Says He Can’t Watch ‘The Crow’ (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ernie-hudson-brandon-lee-movie-the-crow-1235036439/)
The iconic actor, who was in the Brandon Lee film, agrees with those who are calling for Hollywood to ban real guns from sets after the latest tragedy.

BY RYAN PARKER

OCTOBER 25, 2021 12:27PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MCDCROW_EC003.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Ernie Hudson in 'The Crow' EVERETT COLLECTION

Ernie Hudson, like the rest of Hollywood, is reeling from last week’s deadly shooting on the set of Rust where a gun discharged by Alec Baldwin killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins and wounded the film’s director.

The iconic Ghostbusters star knows firsthand about the devastation left in the wake of such a tragedy as he appeared in The Crow, the 1994 film in which Brandon Lee was fatally wounded.

Hudson told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday he was heartbroken for Hutchins’ family and for Baldwin, whom he has known for years after the pair worked on 1985’s Love on the Run.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Hudson tells THR. “It bought back a lot of memories of Brandon. We go on, we keep moving forward — but there is always that space in your life. You’re heartbroken. You have no control, but you still have to process it and how do you do that? I am just so heartbroken that anything like that can happen again.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MSDCROW_EC007.jpg?w=300
Brandon Lee in ‘The Crow’ EVERETT COLLECTION
The son of legendary martial artist and film star Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee was fatally wounded in March 1993 on The Crow set by a prop gun. He was 28. His sister, Shannon, told THR last week that the family supports a growing initiative to ban real guns from sets. Hudson says he also supports that move.

“If that’s the answer, then I would like to see real guns removed from sets,” Hudson concurs. “I don’t think it is necessary to have real guns and live rounds on the set. We have the technology now to put flashes in without the [blank cartridge] rounds. I thought we found a way to do it safer.”

The Rust investigation is ongoing and Hudson notes all the facts need to come out. However, he can speak to being on productions that felt rushed. “The problem is when they start cutting budgets and they start being in a hurry,” he says. “That is what happened on The Crow. They were pushing to get it done. You put lives at risk.”

Hudson also expressed grief for Baldwin, nothing that the late Michael Massee was devastated after he fired the gun that killed Brandon Lee. “There is nothing worse than something like that happening,” Hudson says. “I remember Michael, his life was never the same.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MSDCROW_EC011.jpg?w=300
Rochelle Davis and Hudson in ‘The Crow’ EVERETT COLLECTION
In The Crow, Hudson plays police Sgt. Daryl Albrecht, who responds to the scene where Brandon Lee’s Eric Draven and Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are brutally murdered on Oct. 30, the informal Devil’s Night. Draven rises from the grave with mystical powers a year later to avenge their deaths and seeks the help of Sgt. Albrecht.

“I can’t watch The Crow,” Hudson admits. “It breaks my heart, and I can’t get past it. So much of it was action stuff, but Brandon and I got a chance to act together.”

Noting that one of his favorite scenes in the film is an emotional moment when Draven comes to visit Sgt. Albrecht after he arises from the grave, Hudson laments: “He was such a great guy. And you think about all the potential.”

[GeneChing]

Nov 5, 2021 1:39pm PT
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to Shut Down Production While Letitia Wright Recovers From On-Set Injury (https://variety.com/2021/film/news/black-panther-wakanda-forever-shuts-down-production-letitia-wright-1235106126/)

By Jordan Moreau
https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/letitia-wright.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Channel 4
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will temporarily shut down production while actor Letitia Wright recovers from an on-set injury she suffered in August, Variety has confirmed. Production will pause starting the week of Thanksgiving and start back up in early 2022.

Wright’s injury occurred more than two months ago in late August while shooting a sequence involving a stunt rig on location in Boston. At the time, her injury was not expected to impact the film’s shooting schedule. Director Ryan Coogler and the rest of the production have been filming mostly in Atlanta since Wright was injured. She has stayed in London while the shoot continued without her.

“Letitia has been recovering in London since September from injuries sustained on the set of ‘Black Panther 2’ and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022,” a statement from Wright’s reps reads. “Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.”

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is set to release on Nov. 11, 2022, after it was delayed recently from July 8, 2022. The new release date is expected to remain, despite the temporary shutdown.

Wright joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Shuri, the genius inventor and younger sister of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in 2018’s “Black Panther.” Not much is known about the plot of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” but Shuri is expected to take on a larger role following Boseman’s death due to cancer in August 2020. Other “Black Panther” cast members, such as Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba and Angela Bassett, are expected to return for the sequel to the best picture nominee and three-time Oscar winner.

Variety exclusively revealed that “I May Destroy You” creator and star Michaela Coel joined the cast in an unknown role. Additionally, it was revealed that Dominique Thorne, who will play the up-and-coming superhero Ironheart in her own Disney Plus TV series, will be introduced in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” ahead of her TV debut.

threads
Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)
Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71012-Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever)

[GeneChing]

'AGT: Extreme' contestant Jonathan Goodwin reveals on-set stunt left him in a wheelchair (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/05/06/agt-extreme-star-jonathan-goodwin-reveals-wheelchair-paralyzed-post-stunt/9671897002/)
Sara M Moniuszko
USA TODAY

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/09/05/USAT/851df2f0-02ec-4881-b2af-e3a04147c4cc-NUP_191383_0674_1.JPG?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp
Daredevil Jonathan Goodwin.
"America's Got Talent: Extreme" contestant Jonathan Goodwin is now paralyzed and using a wheelchair after an on-set stunt went wrong on the spinoff competition show late last year.

In a Wednesday Instagram post, Goodwin, the 42-year-old former daredevil, shared a photo of himself in a wheelchair holding his dog.

"6 months ago I went to rehearse something and left this little hairy monkey waiting patiently for me... he didn't see his dad again until just a couple of weeks ago and when he finally did, dad had new cool wheels."

He added a lot has changed in the last six months, but "love is a constant and I'm very very loved."

He also said he's looking forward to my next chapters and being a "roll model" in his new set of wheels.

On a Monday episode of the "Out to Lunch with Jay Rayner" podcast, his fiancée Amanda Abbington confirmed that he's paralyzed.

"Unless there's a kind of stem cell surgery or that thing that Elon Musk is designing with the little chip, he'll be like that forever," she said.

'There is a long road to recovery':'America's Got Talent' contestant gives injury update

Goodwin was hospitalized following the accident, a spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY in October. In a health update to Instagram at the time, the famed escapist posted a selfie of himself wrapped in bandages with burns on his face as he expressed gratitude for all the well wishes he has received.

"You can’t say you don’t get out what you put in. Ive tried my hardest over the years to be kind, thoughtful, honest supportive and good," Goodwin wrote in the caption. "A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn… and the out pouring (sic) of love from all the corners of the world; from people I didn’t even think would know or remember me… has just been astonishing."

Goodwin's hospitalization led to "America's Got Talent" halting production of the show's spin-off, saying in a statement to USA TODAY they would "resume the last few days of filming at a later date."

The self-proclaimed "greatest theatrical stunt performer" previously competed in Season 15 of "America's Got Talent" in 2020 and made headlines with his quarterfinals act.

Contributing: Elise Brisco and Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY how tragic

[GeneChing]

Daniel Radcliffe To EP Doc About His Stunt Double Left Paralyzed After ‘Deathly Hallows’ Accident (https://deadline.com/2023/10/daniel-radcliffe-to-ep-doc-about-his-stunt-double-left-paralyzed-after-deathly-hallows-accident-1235581386/)
By Max Goldbart
International TV Co-Editor
October 24, 2023 6:00am
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/David-Holmes-Still-Image-e1698149082967.jpeg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Daniel Radcliffe (left) and David Holmes
Sky

Daniel Radcliffe is exec producing a documentary about his former stunt double who was left paralyzed following an accident on the Harry Potter set.

Sky and HBO Documentary Films are behind David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, the coming-of-age story of a prodigious teenage gymnast who formed an inextricable bond with Harry Potter star Radcliffe.

Holmes was working on Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when an explosion that was part of a planned stunt sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with a debilitating spinal injury that turned his life upside down.

Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with him, Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew, the film reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up and the bonds that bind people together.

Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn’s Lightbox along with Holmes and Amy Stares’ Ripple Productions are producing the doc, which will air next month.

Radcliffe is exec producing with Holmes, director Dan Hartley, Sue Latimer, Sarah Spahovic, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen and Poppy Dixon. Producers are Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, Vanessa Davies and Stares.

I'll watch this.

Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths)
Harry-Potter (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?37539-Harry-Potter)