In the movies, you see heroes and villains effortlessly jump off buildings and race through the streets. What you don’t see are the often dangerous methods filmmakers use to capture those perfect shots. Movie set accidents are a common occurrence in Hollywood. So when you sit down to watch the Oscars, know that movies are not all fun and games. This post lists some of the worst on-set injuries in recent memory.
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7 Big Movie Set Accidents
Sometimes, the financial and critical success of movies overshadow the movie set accidents that happened while they were being made. This was the case with the following films:
- Top Gun
This film kick-started the iconic career of Tom Cruise, but stuntman Art Scholl died during production. Scholl’s plane plunged into the Pacific Ocean while he filmed a stunt. His body was never recovered.
- The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is one of the most successful superhero movies in history, but cameraman Conway Wickliffe lost his life filming one of its action scenes. While doing a test run for a Batmobile scene, the driver of Wickliffe’s camera car lost control and hit a tree.
- The Expendables 2
This film featured an action-packed cast of actors such as Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis. Unfortunately, one of the many stunts in this movie went deadly wrong. An explosion killed one stuntman and sent another to the hospital.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
David Holmes, the stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), was paralyzed from the neck down at only 25 years old in a tragic accident. Holmes’ body slammed against a wall and he fractured his neck while filming a scene.
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon
During a battle scene in this film, a steel cable carrying a car snapped. The car fell onto another car carrying an extra, Gabriela Cedillo. Cedillo suffered severe facial injuries and permanent brain damage.
- Rambo First Blood
Sylvester Stallone rarely shies away from performing his own stunts, but one in this movie left him badly injured. Stallone broke several ribs when he rammed into a tree during a scene where he falls from a mountain. The scream you hear in the movie is actually a real reaction.
- Now You See Me
The popular actress Isla Fisher almost drowned after being trapped in an underwater chamber for over three minutes.
Utah Personal Injury Lawyers
Whether on a movie set or in everyday life, accidents happen. At Christensen and Hymas, we will represent you with the utmost professionalism and consideration. We will help you get the compensation you deserve in an accident case. If you think you may have a case, please contact us today and we will get to work for you!