Paramount has confirmed that several crew members working on Gladiator 2 have been injured while filming a stunt sequence for Ridley Scott’s sequel starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington.
The incident occurred on set in Morocco on Wednesday, with a total of six people receiving medical treatment — four of whom remain in the hospital. All of them were treated for burns, though it’s unclear what, exactly, happened. Two other crew members were treated locally and quickly discharged, and no cast members were harmed in the accident, which occurred toward the end of the shooting day when mistakes are more often made as productions rush — not to say that’s what happened here. Some reports have indicated that a gas pipe may have exploded, though others suggest it was a planned stunt gone awry.
“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,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement. “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,” added Paramount’s spokesperson.
Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Matt Lucas, Derek Jacobi, and Connie Nielsen will all co-star in the as-yet-untitled Gladiator sequel, which will take place more than a decade after the events of the Oscar-winning first film starring Russell Crowe, who would go on to win an Oscar himself for his heroic turn as Maximus. Paramount will release the sequel in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024.
