A stunt on the Gladiator 2 set resulted in several crew members sustaining injuries. The long-awaited Paramount sequel recently started filming in the Sahara desert in Morocco.
Few details are known about the Gladiator sequel's plot. However, the Paramount sequel focuses on Lucious, the young prince from the first film. Paul Mescal will play Lucious while Connie Nielson reprises her role as Lucilla. The rest of the star-studded cast includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger.
The Gladiator 2 accident, first reported by The Sun, left six crew members with non-life-threatening burns. Four of the six crew members who were rushed to the hospital stayed overnight to be treated for their burns. The accident was initially believed to be caused by a gas pipe explosion. However, a Paramount Spokesperson has confirmed it was an accident during a “planned stunt sequence.” One source told The Sun, “It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path."
“The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received the necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment," said a Paramount Spokesperson. "The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place for all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.” The accident has left many of the cast and crew shaken.
Thankfully, everyone involved is okay. However, this is a reminder of how dangerous these films can be. CGI has helped make stunts safer, but sometimes practical effects are wanted, which comes with a risk. Productions have many safety precautions in place to reduce these risks. The medical team did a great job of treating crew members on-site before rushing them to the hospital for further treatment.
Hopefully, the crew members can recover quickly, and the producers can find out what went wrong to ensure this does not happen in the future and Gladiator 2 can resume production.
Gladiator 2 is set for a November 22, 2024 release date.
Source: The Sun