Several crew members suffer burns in Gladiator 2 set injury
An accident with a stunt on the set of Ridley Scott's Gladiator sequel led to several crew members being hospitalized
Several crew members were hospitalized after an accident on the set of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 yesterday, Variety reports. A stunt, apparently involving pyrotechnics, appears to have gone awry on the Morocco set of the sequel, leading to “non-life-threatening injuries” that caused six people to receive medical treatment, with four of them being hospitalized for at least a time. Paramount Pictures has issued a statement about the incident:
While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the ‘Gladiator’ sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries. The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment. 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 on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production
It’s been 23 years since Scott released eventual Oscar-winner Gladiator, helping to launch Russell Crowe’s career to new prominence on the international stage, and pulling down the Best Picture statue at the Academy Awards. The new film will reportedly pick up several years after the events of the first, with star Paul Mescal playing the adult version of Lucius, the child character played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original film. Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal are also set to star, while Connie Nielsen, who played Lucius’ mother Lucilla, is the only major cast member expected to reprise their part.
According to Variety, no cast members were injured in the accident, which apparently occurred close to the end of the day of shooting. Details about the accident have yet to be released, although several crew members are said to have been treated for burns.