Photo: Fast & Furious 9
Being a stuntman is probably one of the most dangerous jobs out there. Jumping off planes, throwing motorcycles into the air, going head first into a car chase are specifically performed by stuntmen to keep the actors safe. But accidents do happen, and they can be "life-changing." It also happened on the set of the Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga.
Now, FF9 Pictures, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, which filmed Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga, has been fined 800,000 pounds, the equivalent of approximately $1 million, by a British court after a stuntman was involved in a serious accident and was left with brain damage, but "fortunate to be alive," according to the District Judge Talwinder Buttar. FF9 was also ordered to pay $18,000 in costs. Furthermore, the injured stuntman is also suing the studio, asking for $1.2 million for personal injury.
The stuntman reportedly fell 25 feet (7.6 meters) from a balcony onto his head. The incident happened at the Warner Brothers studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in July 2019. During rehearsal for the ninth installment of the series, John Watts was to be thrown over another stuntman’s shoulder. But the moves eventually changed during the rehearsal, and the stunt went wrong.
He was wearing a safety line on his vest, but it somehow detached and he fell from the balcony, missing the crash mats and landing on the concrete. Watts suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury, with long-term impact on his life.
The Luton Magistrates Court found that the wire did not undergo checks during takes. Furthermore, the crash mats were not moved according to the scene change.
The Health and Safety Executive noted that the production company did not extend the crash matting necessary to mitigate the consequences of a potential fall. The authority also pointed out that there was no system for double-checking that the link had been properly engaged and tightened to keep the stuntman safe.
FF9 Pictures pleaded guilty to breaching the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act and admitted to health and safety failing in court. One of them was failing to inspect the harness used by Watts within the last six months as it was required.
A member of The British Stunt Register, John Watts had previously worked on the set of movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Game of Thrones.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Roanne Barker said that John Watts’ injuries were "life-changing and he could have easily been killed." Watts will not be able to return to his pre-accident job as a stuntman.
FF9 made over $726 million worldwide with the Fast 9, according to Box Office Mojo, with the Fast X to hit theaters in April 2024.
The stuntman reportedly fell 25 feet (7.6 meters) from a balcony onto his head. The incident happened at the Warner Brothers studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in July 2019. During rehearsal for the ninth installment of the series, John Watts was to be thrown over another stuntman’s shoulder. But the moves eventually changed during the rehearsal, and the stunt went wrong.
He was wearing a safety line on his vest, but it somehow detached and he fell from the balcony, missing the crash mats and landing on the concrete. Watts suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury, with long-term impact on his life.
The Luton Magistrates Court found that the wire did not undergo checks during takes. Furthermore, the crash mats were not moved according to the scene change.
The Health and Safety Executive noted that the production company did not extend the crash matting necessary to mitigate the consequences of a potential fall. The authority also pointed out that there was no system for double-checking that the link had been properly engaged and tightened to keep the stuntman safe.
FF9 Pictures pleaded guilty to breaching the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act and admitted to health and safety failing in court. One of them was failing to inspect the harness used by Watts within the last six months as it was required.
A member of The British Stunt Register, John Watts had previously worked on the set of movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Game of Thrones.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Roanne Barker said that John Watts’ injuries were "life-changing and he could have easily been killed." Watts will not be able to return to his pre-accident job as a stuntman.
FF9 made over $726 million worldwide with the Fast 9, according to Box Office Mojo, with the Fast X to hit theaters in April 2024.
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