10 Worst Disasters To Happen On Major Movie Sets
Film sets can be dangerous places despite safety guidelines and regulations, and some film sets have been the scene of tragic disasters. As film crews try to prioritize safety, several major productions have been devastated by disasters. Unfortunately, many of them were fatal. One could argue that modern film studios have improved safety standards over the years and effectively reduced accidents. This is largely true. However, filming – especially on films that require a lot of stunts – can still go wrong, no matter how well prepared the filmmakers and actors are. Accidents happen and these on-site disasters can be the worst thing that can happen during production.
The Crow
Perhaps the most infamous filming disaster occurred during filming of 1994’s The Crow, resulting in the death of star Brandon Lee (via NPR). Towards the end of production, Lee was filming the first part of the film, in which his character, Eric Draven, is shot by gangsters. After using dummy bullets (bullets without powder) for the previous scene, a bullet got stuck in the barrel of the gun. No one checked the barrel and the gun was then loaded with a blank cartridge (gunpowder without bullets) for Lee’s scene, thus becoming a completely live cartridge. Lee was seriously injured and died on set.
Twilight Zone: The Movie
One of the most tragic on-set disasters happened in Twilight Zone: The Movie. The Twilight Zone had many great episodes and was wildly popular during its run, leading to the production of a feature-length anthology film in 1986. While filming the first segment of the movie, actor Vic Morrow and his two children – Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen – were both killed by a helicopter crash. The low-flying helicopter was jolted by pyrotechnics on the ground, which were reportedly much larger than the pilot or film crew were expecting. The helicopter spun out of control, landing on Morrow and the two kids and killing them instantly.
Rust
Another gun-related tragedy occurred in 2021 on the set of the western film Rust. While actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in which his character pointed a gun at the camera, the gun accidentally fired. Of the three people behind the camera, two were shot. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest and died on the way to the hospital, and director Joel Souza was injured in the shoulder. Details remain unclear, but Baldwin vehemently denied pulling the trigger and was later cleared of manslaughter. Rust has completed filming.
The Dark Knight
While The Dark Knight is often associated with the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger, the film also claimed the life of someone else. Stuntman Conway Wickliffe died while rehearsing one of the car chases in the film (via The Guardian). For the scene where the Batmobile explodes, Wickliffe leaned out of the car window while filming another car driving alongside. His stunt colleague unfortunately missed a turn at the end of the track and their car collided with a tree. Wickliffe died tragically at the scene, and The Dark Knight was dedicated to his and Ledger’s memory.
Midnight Rider
Midnight Rider is an unfinished biographical film about blues musician Gregg Allman. He only filmed for one day in 2014 before tragedy struck, shutting down production indefinitely. The cast and crew began filming a dream sequence featuring actor William Hurt lying on a metal bed on a railroad trestle over the Altamaha River in Georgia. Unbeknownst to the crew, a freight train was rapidly approaching and they acted too late to reach safety. Several crew members were injured, but when the train hit the metal bed, camera assistant Sarah Jones was pushed towards the train by shrapnel, killing her instantly.
Top Gun
Tom Cruise’s action thriller Top Gun is famous for its use of acrobatics and flying sequences – most of which Cruise shot himself in Top Gun: Maverick, the film’s sequel. Among the stunt pilots employed by Top Gun was the highly regarded Art Scholl. Unfortunately, while filming a stunt scene, Scholl failed to recover from a spin and lost control of his aircraft after. Scholl crashed in the Pacific Ocean, off the Southern Californian coast. Neither Scholl nor the plane were ever recovered, and as a result, the cause of the crash has never been fully determined. Top Gun was dedicated to Scholl’s memory.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part One
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Poster of Harry Ron and Hermione running through a forest. Stuntman David Holmes played star Daniel Radcliffe’s sidekick in the first six Harry Potter films. Holmes was testing a stunt in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, known as a “reverse,” or a stunt designed to mimic the impact of an explosion. According to Holmes’ 2014 interview with The Mirror, he was thrown into the wall, landing on the crash mat below. Tragically, Holmes’ neck was broken as a result of the ordeal and he was left paralyzed. Now a wheelchair user, Holmes started a podcast with Radcliffe called Crafty Stunts, in which the pair interview stuntmen in the film industry.
The Conquerer
The 1956 film The Conqueror is best remembered for John Wayne’s portrayal of the Mongol Genghis Khan. However, the film still retains its deadly legacy thanks to its filming locations. At several locations in Utah, The Conquerer was filmed downwind of the United States nuclear weapons testing site, the Nevada National Security Site. Despite being guaranteed safety, the 91 crew members are still at risk of cancer throughout their lives (via People). Of these, 46 died from illness, including Wayne himself, who died of stomach cancer at the age of 72.
Deadpool 2
Motorcycle racer Joi Harris was killed while performing a stunt on the set of Deadpool 2, playing Zazie Beetz’s character Domino. After successfully rehearsing the stunt, Harris performed the stunt wearing the Domino costume. However, due to time constraints, full safety equipment was not produced to fit the character’s clothing. As a result, Harris was not wearing a helmet when he lost control of his motorbike. Upon hitting the curb, Harris was thrown through a window of Vancouver’s Rogers Tower and was pronounced dead at the scene. This is one of the most recent and tragic disasters to occur on a major film set.