Gladiator 2 crew members are rushed to hospital after being caught in fiery on-set explosion… as stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington watch in shock
- Six crew members were injured after a special effects shot went wrong
- Witnesses speculated that a gas pipe may have ruptured, causing the fireball
- None of the stars were apparently harmed, though the leads saw the explosion
The set of Gladiator 2 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 they were engulfed in a fireball, The Sun reported on Friday.
The highly anticipated sequel has been shooting in Morocco and the neighboring Sahara desert.
There are still few details available about the incident, but it appears to have been a special effects shot that went wrong, causing the dangerous explosion.
One on-set source shared their hopes that the injured crew members would make a full recovery, though their condition is unclear.
Inferno: The set of Gladiator 2 was thrown into chaos after six crew members were injured in an unintended explosion, according to The Sun; Russell Crowe seen in Gladiator (2000)
Witnesses: Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington were reportedly on set and watch the blaze in horror; seen in April in London
‘It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path,’ the source recalled. ‘In years of filming I’ve never seen an accident so scary.’
The explosion is reportedly being investigated, and witnesses to the explosion have reportedly speculated that it may have been caused by a gas pipe rupture on set.
‘Six production staff had to be rushed to hospital for treatment,’ they said, and it appears that no actors on the film were injured in the inferno.
‘Hopefully everyone will be OK, but it was a serious accident,’ the source added. ‘Everyone involved, from the lowliest runners to the star names, has been shaken up 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 it 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 won’t be featured, as his character died at the end of the original film.
Paul Mescal will be leading the new film as Lucius, the nephew of the emperor Commodus (Phoenix) and the secret son of Crowe’s character Maximus, who was saved in the original film by his father.
He was played as a child in the first film by Spencer Treat Clark, but the Irish actor will be taking over the part.
Horrific: ‘It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path,’ a source recalled. ‘Six production staff 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 to L). He has been shooting 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 pip ruptured during a special effects sequence. The film is a sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, though original stars Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix will not be featured
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 playing a former gladiator and friend of Maximus.
Denzel Washington has joined the cast in an important 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 painted as a tyrant in histories of the era.
Gladiator 2 is expected to debut in theaters in late 2024.
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