The producers of F9, the ninth installment of Universal’s Fast & Furious movie franchise, have been fined $1 million after a stunt performer on the film suffered “life-changing” injuries.
FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, pleaded guilty to breaching the U.K.’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court. District Judge Talwinder Buttar fined the company £800,000 ($1 million) and $18,600 in costs.
The prosecution stems from 2019 when stunt performer Joe Watts was severely injured during a stunt that went wrong and was thrown 25 feet onto a concrete floor.
FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, pleaded guilty to breaching the U.K.’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court. District Judge Talwinder Buttar fined the company £800,000 ($1 million) and $18,600 in costs.
The prosecution stems from 2019 when stunt performer Joe Watts was severely injured during a stunt that went wrong and was thrown 25 feet onto a concrete floor.
- 11/27/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
In a recent turn of events, the makers of the action-packed movie Fast & Furious 9, known as FF9 Pictures Limited, faced a heavy penalty. The company, a branch of Universal Pictures, was fined over $1 million. This decision followed a tragic incident on set that caused severe injuries to stuntman Joe Watts.
Joe Watts, a seasoned stunt performer with credits in movies like Solo: A Star Wars Story and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, faced a life-altering ordeal in 2019. During a stunt for F9, something went terribly wrong, and he fell 25 feet onto concrete. This accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and a fractured skull, changing his life forever.
What makes this incident even more heart-wrenching is that it could have been prevented. Investigations revealed a critical oversight: the line on Watts’ stunt vest had detached. This failure, coupled with other lapses like the lack of recent harness inspections and inadequate safety matting,...
Joe Watts, a seasoned stunt performer with credits in movies like Solo: A Star Wars Story and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, faced a life-altering ordeal in 2019. During a stunt for F9, something went terribly wrong, and he fell 25 feet onto concrete. This accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and a fractured skull, changing his life forever.
What makes this incident even more heart-wrenching is that it could have been prevented. Investigations revealed a critical oversight: the line on Watts’ stunt vest had detached. This failure, coupled with other lapses like the lack of recent harness inspections and inadequate safety matting,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
The producers of “F9,” the ninth instalment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, have been fined over $1 million in a U.K. court after a stunt performer suffered “life-changing” injuries on set.
FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, received the fine after they pleaded guilty to breaching the U.K.’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court just outside London.
Stunt performer Joe Watts, who has worked on projects including “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” was severely injured in 2019 when a stunt went wrong and he was thrown 25 feet onto a concrete floor.
Watts suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury which has had a long-term impact on his impairment. An investigation later determined the line on his stunt vest had become detached.
The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive, who brought the prosecution, said FF9 Pictures...
FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, received the fine after they pleaded guilty to breaching the U.K.’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court just outside London.
Stunt performer Joe Watts, who has worked on projects including “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” was severely injured in 2019 when a stunt went wrong and he was thrown 25 feet onto a concrete floor.
Watts suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury which has had a long-term impact on his impairment. An investigation later determined the line on his stunt vest had become detached.
The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive, who brought the prosecution, said FF9 Pictures...
- 11/27/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
FF9 Pictures is hit with an £800,000 fine over ‘life-changing’ injuries to stunt performer Joe Watts on the set of Fast & Furious 9. More here.
The safety of stunt performers has been thrown back into the limelight following a ruling in a UK court over the film Fast & Furious 9.
A sequence for the film that was shot at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in the UK left stunt performer Joe Watts with brain damage. Watts was involved in a stunt where reportedly his safety line became detached as he was being thrown over someone’s shoulder. This took place back in July of 2019.
Watts then fell eight metres onto concrete, head first, breaking his skull as a result of the accident. It had been a rehearsed stunt, albeit one that changed slightly – and with horrible consequences – when it came to the shoot itself. Watts fall was such that he missed the crash mats,...
The safety of stunt performers has been thrown back into the limelight following a ruling in a UK court over the film Fast & Furious 9.
A sequence for the film that was shot at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in the UK left stunt performer Joe Watts with brain damage. Watts was involved in a stunt where reportedly his safety line became detached as he was being thrown over someone’s shoulder. This took place back in July of 2019.
Watts then fell eight metres onto concrete, head first, breaking his skull as a result of the accident. It had been a rehearsed stunt, albeit one that changed slightly – and with horrible consequences – when it came to the shoot itself. Watts fall was such that he missed the crash mats,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Updated to clarify entity that was fined: The UK production entity behind 2021’s Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga has been fined £800,000 ($1 million) after one of its stuntmen suffered brain damage after a fall during production.
Joe Watts suffered a broken skull after falling eight metres onto concrete and landing on his head, in an accident during the filming of Fast 9 at Warner Bros’ studios in Hertfordshire, UK, in July 2019.
The BBC reports that a judge considered Watts “lucky to be alive,” after hearing that his safety line became detached during a stunt that was rehearsed but changed during filming. The court heard that the safety line was not checked between takes. District Judge Talwinder Buttar, sitting at Luton Magistrates Court, criticized the decision to alter the stunt “at the last minute,” adding that the matting underneath should also have been adjusted.
The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive,...
Joe Watts suffered a broken skull after falling eight metres onto concrete and landing on his head, in an accident during the filming of Fast 9 at Warner Bros’ studios in Hertfordshire, UK, in July 2019.
The BBC reports that a judge considered Watts “lucky to be alive,” after hearing that his safety line became detached during a stunt that was rehearsed but changed during filming. The court heard that the safety line was not checked between takes. District Judge Talwinder Buttar, sitting at Luton Magistrates Court, criticized the decision to alter the stunt “at the last minute,” adding that the matting underneath should also have been adjusted.
The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive,...
- 11/26/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
The producers of “F9: The Fast Saga” — the ninth installation in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise — have admitted liability over an accident that left a stunt performer with “life-changing” injuries.
Joe Watts, a seasoned stunt performer who had worked on big-budget features including “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” was rehearsing a fight scene at Leavesden Studios in 2019 with a stand in for Vin Diesel when he was thrown over a balcony and onto a concrete floor from a height of over 20 feet.
It is alleged that a safety wire designed to stop Watts’s fall malfunctioned and he missed the safety mat because the stunt was performed differently to the initial rehearsal. Watts, who suffered a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, psychiatric injury and damage to his shoulder, was in a coma for five days following the accident. According to his lawyers he has been...
Joe Watts, a seasoned stunt performer who had worked on big-budget features including “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” was rehearsing a fight scene at Leavesden Studios in 2019 with a stand in for Vin Diesel when he was thrown over a balcony and onto a concrete floor from a height of over 20 feet.
It is alleged that a safety wire designed to stop Watts’s fall malfunctioned and he missed the safety mat because the stunt was performed differently to the initial rehearsal. Watts, who suffered a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, psychiatric injury and damage to his shoulder, was in a coma for five days following the accident. According to his lawyers he has been...
- 6/20/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The “Fast and Furious” franchise is back again — again — with “F9,” the ninth film in the street-racing saga. That is, it’s the ninth film if you’re not counting the summer 2019 spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw.” The ninth film is a sequel to 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious,” and it’s the shortest title yet in the series, as the “Fast & Furious” brand is evidently now synonymous with simply the letter “F.” And why not? Worldwide, the “Fast” films have grossed more than $5.8 billion dollars since the franchise launched in 2001. IndieWire has the first trailer for “F9,” following a short teaser earlier this week, below.
Set to be released in the United States on May 22, 2020, from Universal Pictures, “F9” stars “Fast and Furious” mainstays and newcomers alike: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, and Michael Rooker all lead the new movie.
Set to be released in the United States on May 22, 2020, from Universal Pictures, “F9” stars “Fast and Furious” mainstays and newcomers alike: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, and Michael Rooker all lead the new movie.
- 1/31/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Joe Watts, the stuntman who was injured on the set of “Fast & Furious 9,” has been moved out of intensive care.
Watts, an experienced stunt performer, sustained head injuries last month in a fall on the set of the Universal Pictures movie, which was shooting at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, near London. He was taken to a hospital by air. The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive is investigating what caused the incident.
The Watts family and his girlfriend, Tilly Powell, who is also a stunt professional, issued a statement Thursday with an update on his condition.
“While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress,” the statement said. “We’d especially like to send an enormous thank-you to the air ambulance crew, all the fantastic doctors, nurses and...
Watts, an experienced stunt performer, sustained head injuries last month in a fall on the set of the Universal Pictures movie, which was shooting at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, near London. He was taken to a hospital by air. The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive is investigating what caused the incident.
The Watts family and his girlfriend, Tilly Powell, who is also a stunt professional, issued a statement Thursday with an update on his condition.
“While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress,” the statement said. “We’d especially like to send an enormous thank-you to the air ambulance crew, all the fantastic doctors, nurses and...
- 8/8/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Watts, who suffered a serious head injury in a fall during the production of Universal’s Fast & Furious 9 at Leavesden studios in London last month, is out of the intensive care unit and “doctors are pleased with his progress,” according to a statement Thursday.
“While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress,” reads a statement from Watts, his fiancée Tilly Powell and their families. “We’d especially like to send an enormous thank you to the air ambulance crew, all the fantastic doctors, nurses and staff at the Royal London Hospital who have provided amazing care to Joe.”
Watts, whose stunt credits include Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Game of Thrones and The Hitman’s Bodyguard and its upcoming sequel, was working with...
“While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress,” reads a statement from Watts, his fiancée Tilly Powell and their families. “We’d especially like to send an enormous thank you to the air ambulance crew, all the fantastic doctors, nurses and staff at the Royal London Hospital who have provided amazing care to Joe.”
Watts, whose stunt credits include Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Game of Thrones and The Hitman’s Bodyguard and its upcoming sequel, was working with...
- 8/8/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
A stuntman for Fast & Furious 9 who suffered a major head injury during production last month is out of the intensive care unit.
Production on the Universal picture was temporarily stopped when Joe Watts was severely hurt on July 22.
His family, including fiancee Tilly Powell (also a stunt professional), gave an update on Thursday, saying his condition had improved slightly.
"While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress," read the family statement. "We'd especially like to ...
Production on the Universal picture was temporarily stopped when Joe Watts was severely hurt on July 22.
His family, including fiancee Tilly Powell (also a stunt professional), gave an update on Thursday, saying his condition had improved slightly.
"While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress," read the family statement. "We'd especially like to ...
A stuntman for Fast & Furious 9 who suffered a major head injury during production last month is out of the intensive care unit.
Production on the Universal picture was temporarily stopped when Joe Watts was severely hurt on July 22.
His family, including fiancee Tilly Powell (also a stunt professional), gave an update on Thursday, saying his condition had improved slightly.
"While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress," read the family statement. "We'd especially like to ...
Production on the Universal picture was temporarily stopped when Joe Watts was severely hurt on July 22.
His family, including fiancee Tilly Powell (also a stunt professional), gave an update on Thursday, saying his condition had improved slightly.
"While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress," read the family statement. "We'd especially like to ...
Vin Diesel‘s stunt double, Joe Watts, has been seriously injured during the filming of Fast & Furious 9. The accident occurred on Monday at the Warner Bros. Studio in Hertfordshire, England. There is no news about what exactly happened, but Watts reportedly fell during a stunt and seriously injured his head. Watts was reportedly trying […]
The post Vin Diesel Stunt Double, Joe Watts, Injured Filming ‘Fast & Furious 9’ appeared first on uInterview.
The post Vin Diesel Stunt Double, Joe Watts, Injured Filming ‘Fast & Furious 9’ appeared first on uInterview.
- 7/28/2019
- by Eileen Nguyen
- Uinterview
CGI-weary audiences’ demand for complex ‘real’ action is increasing the risk for performers
This week, the British stunt performer Joe Watts suffered a serious head injury on the set of the film Fast & Furious 9, at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, after he reportedly fell 30ft (9 metres) from a balcony. He was airlifted to hospital and has been put in an induced coma. Production on the film was shut down, and the Health and Safety Executive is investigating.
Stunt professionals are in high demand in the current climate of action-driven blockbuster films and increasing volumes of small-screen productions requiring cinema-standard action. Weary of unconvincing CGI and green-screen action, audiences are starting to want practical, unsimulated effects: humans doing spectacular stunts “for real”. However, as the volume and complexity of stunts has grown, so has the risk factor.
This week, the British stunt performer Joe Watts suffered a serious head injury on the set of the film Fast & Furious 9, at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, after he reportedly fell 30ft (9 metres) from a balcony. He was airlifted to hospital and has been put in an induced coma. Production on the film was shut down, and the Health and Safety Executive is investigating.
Stunt professionals are in high demand in the current climate of action-driven blockbuster films and increasing volumes of small-screen productions requiring cinema-standard action. Weary of unconvincing CGI and green-screen action, audiences are starting to want practical, unsimulated effects: humans doing spectacular stunts “for real”. However, as the volume and complexity of stunts has grown, so has the risk factor.
- 7/26/2019
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Jason Statham is thankful for the “unsung heroes” of action films.
The Hobbs & Shaw actor, 51, spoke to Extra about stuntman Joe Watts’ head injury on the set of the upcoming Fast & Furious 9. Watts was reportedly injured on Monday after falling about 30 feet while on set in England and is now in an “induced coma,” according to multiple outlets.
Statham, who is familiar with stunts in movies such as The Transporter and most recently the Fast & Furious spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw, said the accident “is awful.”
“It’s an unpredictable science,” he told Extra of performing stunts in films.
The Hobbs & Shaw actor, 51, spoke to Extra about stuntman Joe Watts’ head injury on the set of the upcoming Fast & Furious 9. Watts was reportedly injured on Monday after falling about 30 feet while on set in England and is now in an “induced coma,” according to multiple outlets.
Statham, who is familiar with stunts in movies such as The Transporter and most recently the Fast & Furious spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw, said the accident “is awful.”
“It’s an unpredictable science,” he told Extra of performing stunts in films.
- 7/24/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
The stuntman who was reportedly injured on Monday while on the set of Fast & Furious 9 in England is in an “induced coma”, multiple outlets report.
According to the The Hollywood Reporter, the stuntman has been identified as Joe Watts. A source told the outlet that, according to Watts’ fiancée, he is “stable but in an induced coma.”
U.K. outlet The Sun also reported that Watts was in an “induced coma,” though THR‘s source disputed the outlet’s report that Watts was Vin Diesel‘s stunt double. THR reports that the accident is believed to have occurred...
According to the The Hollywood Reporter, the stuntman has been identified as Joe Watts. A source told the outlet that, according to Watts’ fiancée, he is “stable but in an induced coma.”
U.K. outlet The Sun also reported that Watts was in an “induced coma,” though THR‘s source disputed the outlet’s report that Watts was Vin Diesel‘s stunt double. THR reports that the accident is believed to have occurred...
- 7/23/2019
- by Helen Murphy
- PEOPLE.com
Main production on Universal’s “Fast & Furious 9” has resumed Tuesday in Leavesden after a stuntman was injured on set Monday, according to a source close to the production.
Joe Watts, a stuntman who has worked on films such as “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” “Pokemon Detective Pikachu,” “Murder Mystery” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” sustained the injury after a fall from an elevated stage, the source told TheWrap. The accident took place at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden studio in the UK on Monday, leading to production on the film to be shut down for the day.
Universal had no comment.
Also Read: Electrical Sparks Fly at 'Hobbs and Shaw' Premiere; No One Harmed
The news out of Leavesden comes after a fire broke out at the Warner Bros’ studio in Leavesden two weeks ago. All eight of the “Harry Potter” films, along with movies from the James Bond, “Fast and the...
Joe Watts, a stuntman who has worked on films such as “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” “Pokemon Detective Pikachu,” “Murder Mystery” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” sustained the injury after a fall from an elevated stage, the source told TheWrap. The accident took place at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden studio in the UK on Monday, leading to production on the film to be shut down for the day.
Universal had no comment.
Also Read: Electrical Sparks Fly at 'Hobbs and Shaw' Premiere; No One Harmed
The news out of Leavesden comes after a fire broke out at the Warner Bros’ studio in Leavesden two weeks ago. All eight of the “Harry Potter” films, along with movies from the James Bond, “Fast and the...
- 7/23/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Production resumed Tuesday on “Fast & Furious 9,” a day after an accident at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, near London, left a stuntman in hospital. The U.K. agency responsible for workplace safety confirmed that it is now investigating the accident.
The stuntman, Joe Watts, was working on a second unit when he sustained head injuries in a fall. He has been placed in an induced coma after having been taken to a London hospital in an air ambulance. Watts was not Vin Diesel’s stunt double, as was reported by some British tabloids.
In a since-deleted social media post, his girlfriend said Monday night that he had suffered a serious head injury but was in a stable condition.
Main-unit filming resumed Tuesday, but the second unit remained closed. Universal and Warner Bros. declined to comment.
The Health and Safety Executive told Variety that a probe into what happened is underway.
The stuntman, Joe Watts, was working on a second unit when he sustained head injuries in a fall. He has been placed in an induced coma after having been taken to a London hospital in an air ambulance. Watts was not Vin Diesel’s stunt double, as was reported by some British tabloids.
In a since-deleted social media post, his girlfriend said Monday night that he had suffered a serious head injury but was in a stable condition.
Main-unit filming resumed Tuesday, but the second unit remained closed. Universal and Warner Bros. declined to comment.
The Health and Safety Executive told Variety that a probe into what happened is underway.
- 7/23/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Fast & Furious 9 stuntman Joe Watts is in an induced coma following a major accident during the shoot in the U.K. on Monday.
The accident — described as a "serious head injury" after a major fall — saw the production shut down at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios as paramedics and air ambulances were called.
British press reported that Watts was Vin Diesel's stunt double, but a source close to production said that this wasn't true, and that the stunt double had been present during the accident, believed to have happened during a sequence ...
The accident — described as a "serious head injury" after a major fall — saw the production shut down at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios as paramedics and air ambulances were called.
British press reported that Watts was Vin Diesel's stunt double, but a source close to production said that this wasn't true, and that the stunt double had been present during the accident, believed to have happened during a sequence ...
- 7/23/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fast & Furious 9 stuntman Joe Watts is in an induced coma following a major accident during the shoot in the U.K. on Monday.
The accident — described as a "serious head injury" after a major fall — saw the production shut down at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios as paramedics and air ambulances were called.
British press reported that Watts was Vin Diesel's stunt double, but a source close to production said that this wasn't true, and that the stunt double had been present during the accident, believed to have happened during a sequence ...
The accident — described as a "serious head injury" after a major fall — saw the production shut down at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios as paramedics and air ambulances were called.
British press reported that Watts was Vin Diesel's stunt double, but a source close to production said that this wasn't true, and that the stunt double had been present during the accident, believed to have happened during a sequence ...
- 7/23/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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