Producers of Fast & Furious 9 have been fined $1 million (£800,000) after a stuntman broke his skull during a fight sequence.

The incident took place in 2019 during the filming of Fast & Furious 9 at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, reports the BBC.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecutors detailed in court on Friday that during a fight scene on a balcony, Joe Watts’ safety line became detached as he performed a stunt that differed from the one that had been rehearsed several times.

The stuntman was initially supposed to be thrown over a performer’s right shoulder, however, in a last-minute change, the stunt actor was told he would be thrown over the actor’s left shoulder. The safety line had not been checked in between takes.

Watts missed the crash mats and fell 25ft (eight metres) headfirst onto the concrete ground. He has been left with brain damage.

HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said, “Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed… In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimising the risk of an injury.”

Prosecutors argued that FF9 Pictures, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, “did not extend the crash matting needed to mitigate the consequences of an unintended fall following changes to the set and the sequence of the stunt.”

During sentencing at Luton Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Talwinder Buttar remarked that Watts was “fortunate to be alive”. She ordered the fine after FF9 Pictures admitted health and safety failings.

Watts had worked on a number of productions including Game of Thrones, Johnny English Strikes Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Fast & Furious 9, also known as F9, was released in 2021 and starred Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, among others.

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