Gladiator 2 crew members are rushed to hospital after being caught in fiery on-set explosion
Gladiator 2 crew members are rushed to hospital after being caught in a fiery explosion on set… as stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington look on in shock
- Six crew members were injured after a special effects shot went wrong
- Witnesses speculated that a gas line may have ruptured, causing the fireball
- None of the stars were apparently injured, though the leads saw the explosion
Gladiator 2’s set has been thrown into chaos after crew members were reportedly injured in an explosion.
Six crew members had to be rushed to a hospital after being engulfed in a fireball. The sun reported Friday.
The highly anticipated sequel was shot in Morocco and the neighboring Sahara desert.
Few details are available about the incident yet, but it appears a special effects shot went wrong and caused the dangerous explosion.
A source on set shared their hope that the injured crew members would make a full recovery, although their condition is unclear.
Inferno: The Gladiator 2 set was thrown into chaos after six crew members were injured in an accidental explosion, according to The Sun; Russell Crowe seen in Gladiator (2000)
Witnesses: Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington were reportedly on set watching the blaze in horror; seen in April in London
“It was terrifying – a huge ball of fire flew up and hit several crew members in its path,” the source recalled. “I’ve never seen such a scary accident in years of filming.”
The explosion is reportedly under investigation and witnesses to the explosion have reportedly speculated that it may have been caused by a gas line burst on set.
“Six production workers had to be taken to hospital for treatment,” they said, and it appears none of the actors in the film were injured in the inferno.
“Hopefully everyone will be okay, but it was a serious accident,” the source said. “Everyone involved, from the lowest runners to the star names, has been shaken by this.”
The upcoming film is a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film Gladiator, which was a critical and commercial hit.
The historical epic grossed five times its budget and helped cement the stardom of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.
While the new film brings back director Ridley Scott, Crowe will not be seen, as his character died at the end of the original film.
Paul Mescal will direct the new film as Lucius, the nephew of Emperor Commodus (Phoenix) and the secret son of Crowe’s character Maximus, who was rescued by his father in the original film.
He was played as a child in Spencer’s first film Treat Clark, but the Irish actor will reprise the role.
Horrifying: “It was terrifying – a huge ball of fire flew up and hit several crew members in its path,” a source recalled. “Six production workers had to be rushed to hospital for treatment,” they said, and their condition is currently unknown; Washington seen in March 2022 in La
The Boss: The sequel is directed by original helmer Ridley Scott (2nd from left). He photographed in Morocco and the neighboring Sahara Desert; seen with (L-R) Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener in Venice in 2021
Accident? Witnesses speculated that a gas line ruptured during a special effects sequence. The film is a sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, although it will not star original stars Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix
Connie Neilsen will reprise her role as Lucilla, his mother, while Derek Jacobi will also return as a Roman Senator and Djimon Hounsou will be back as a former gladiator and friend of Maximus.
Denzel Washington has joined the cast in a major role, though his character has not yet been revealed.
Pedro Pascal and Matt Lucas are among the new cast members, and Stranger Things breakout star Joseph Quinn will play Emperor Caracalla, who has often been portrayed as a tyrant in the history of the era.
Gladiator 2 is expected to hit theaters in late 2024.