Behind movie scenes, cast and crew go through rigorous risk assessments to ensure the health and safety of those working on the film. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always predict, or prevent, on set accidents. Here are some of the worst accidents that have taken place on set.
The Crow
Brandon Lee’s tragic death on set of 1994’s The Crow has become one of the most well-known accidents to occur during filming. When the script called for Lee’s character to be shot, no one could have predicted that the actor would be hit by debris coming from a blank cartridge within the prop gun, causing him to bleed to death.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Only days into shooting the final installment of The Maze Runner trilogy, lead actor Dylan O’Brien was hit by a vehicle after a stunt went horribly wrong. With the film due to be released in February 2017, production was halted to allow O’Brien to recover from the facial fractures and brain trauma sustained, eventually being released in January 2018.
Top Gun
Tom Cruise is no stranger to on set accidents but it was the death of stunt pilot Art Scholl which adds tragedy to the otherwise upbeat film. His stunt plane crashed into the sea and could not be recovered.
The Dark Knight
Although Heath Ledger’s accidental death off set made The Dark Knight infamous, the death of stuntman Conway Wickliffe adds this movie to the list. Whilst practising a stunt, the driver of Wickliffe’s vehicle lost control and hit a tree. The driver was uninjured but Wickliffe unfortunately died at the scene.
Twilight Zone
The accident that took place on set of the 1983 film highlighted the need for stringent health and safety laws during film productions. Even small events should be covered by Events Medical Cover, such as https://www.outdoormedicalsolutions.co.uk/event-medical-cover/ should the worst happen. In the film, Vic Morrow’s character is carrying two children to safety, however, a stunt explosion caused damage to a helicopter which was being used in the scene, causing it to fall to the ground killing all three.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
When a cable snapped free from the car it was holding, extra Gabriela Cedillo was hit leaving her with irreversible brain damage. A lawsuit was brought against Paramount Pictures which eventually ended with Cedillo receiving $18m.
