Most of the work that goes into producing movie magic takes place behind the scenes and — while stunt people are technically on camera quite a bit — their job is to make you forget that they are standing in for lead actors/actresses when the going gets tough. Their profession is difficult, thankless, and almost always dangerous. We got a tragic reminder of just how dangerous Monday morning, as a stuntwoman died on the set of 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool 2.
The accident took place in Vancouver, Canada, where the production has been filming since June and local law enforcement has issued the following statement: “Vancouver Police can confirm that a female stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle.”
According to Variety, a spokesperson for WorkSafeBC — a Canadian agency tasked with preventing occupational injury and disease — indicated that the organization has launched a long-term investigation and dispatched at least five officers to the scene.
The as-of-yet unnamed woman was reportedly treated by an Advanced Life Support ambulance, which arrived shortly after the accident and remained at the scene for 45 minutes before departing with its lights and sirens switched off.
For those unfamiliar with the Deadpool franchise, it follows a fast-talking, wise-cracking mercenary with amplified/accelerated healing powers and a score to settle. The first installment showcased plenty of high-wire action scenes and no doubt made liberal use of experienced stunt people. While everyone expected the sequel to deliver the same sort of thrills, such thrills cannot be delivered without the people who risk their lives on film sets every day.
Aside from the above, details are still scarce, but we will be sure to keep you updated as information becomes available.
A follow-up to the critically-acclaimed smash hit Deadpool, Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), and Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), along with newcomers Josh Brolin (Nathan Summers/Cable) and Zazie Beetz (Domino). The film is set to hit theaters on June 1, 2018, and you can check out the first teaser here. You can also get up to speed on the merry misadventures of the so-called “Merc with a Mouth” right here.
