'Completely Freak Accident' on Set of Upcoming Eddie Murphy Movie Injures, Hospitalizes Multiple Crew Members
An unspecified number of crew members were injured near Atlanta on Tuesday during the filming of the upcoming Eddie Murphy film, “The Pickup.”
The scene had been previously rehearsed, according to an unnamed spokesperson from Amazon MGM Studios, the studio producing the film, and “all safety precautions” had been taken.
Another unidentified source, said by The Associated Press to be “close to the production,” said that a truck “locked up and hit a car” during shooting.
“The injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones, the person close to the production said,” according to the outlet. “Two crew members were taken to the hospital, and one remained hospitalized Tuesday.”
“All are expected to make a full recovery,” the AP added.
The studio provided no official comment on the number of people involved or the extent of their injuries.
None of the films primary stars — who, in addition to Murphy, were reported to include Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay and Marshawn Lynch, according to The Hollywood Reporter — were on site at the time of the accident.
“Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned and several members of the crew were injured as a result,” the studio spokesperson said in a statement cited by the AP. “We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering.
“The well-being of the entire crew and cast is our first priority, and we will continue to insist on the highest industry standards of safety while filming,” the statement added. “All safety precautions were reviewed prior to and monitored during the shoot.”
According to the AP, The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees was also looking into what happened, presumably because the injured crew members were also members of that union.
“IATSE is aware of an accident that took place on the Georgia set of The Pickup and have started an inquiry,” the crew union said in a statement cited by the Reporter.
A second production unit was filming the scene, which generally means that the film’s main stars aren’t involved in the scene and the director is not usually present.
The AP’s anonymous source, who wasn’t authorized to speak with the media, indicated that the scene was typical for such productions.
“It was a completely freak accident,” the person told the AP. “It wasn’t even a complicated or dangerous stunt.”
The Reporter described the film as a “heist comedy” — perhaps similar to another Murphy film, 2011’s “Tower Heist.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year that the film, which it called “The Pick Up,” would be shot in the Atlanta area through June.
The AP did not report a release date for the film, but noted that it was unlikely to be delayed by Tuesday’s accident.
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