Investigation Opened in ‘Resident Evil’ Set Accident (Updated)

16 cast and crew members injured Tuesday morning as platform shifts, creating a hole

Updated 3:45 ET:

The studios producing "Resident Evil: Retribution 3D" have issued a statement regarding the incident on the film's Toronto set Tuesday morning.

"It is with regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident," Davis Films/Impact Pictures Inc. and Constantin Film International GmbH said. "The thoughts of everyone involved in the production are with those who have been injured, and we hope that all have a quick and complete recovery. The filmmakers are continuing to work closely with the authorities in responding to this accident.”

The statement also includes "background" on the incident to clarify any disputes over what happened. It claims that at 8:35 a.m., "a number of background actors were injured when a four-foot high platform separated from the set creating a gap that several performers fell through." This confirms what a Toronto police officer told TheWrap earlier on Tuesday.

Paramedics and police were called to the scene and 11 of the actors were taken to a local hospital. Seven of them have already returned to the set.

While none of the injuries are life-threatening, the statement does specify that one actor sufferd a cracked rib, another a stress fracture of the tibia and another may have suffered a back injury.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour told TheWrap Tuesday morning it has launched an investigation into the incident.

Though produced by these studios, the film will be released internationall by ScreenGems, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures.

Previously:

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has launched an investigation into an accident Tuesday morning on the Toronto set of “Resident Evil: Retribution 3D,” that injured 16. 

The ministry has dispatched an inspector to Cinespace’s Kipling Studio, where it is believed a platform shifted, leaving a hole into which cast and crew members fell, William Lin, a ministry spokesperson, told TheWrap. 

Ten of the injured were hospitalized. None of the injuries were grave, as the fall was only about five feet, Victor Kwong, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Services, told TheWrap. However, he refused to call them “minor,” stating that the worst injury was to someone’s back.

Lin was quick to caution that it is too early to speculate on the cause of the incident. "We are conducting an investigation to (a) find out what happened and (b) ensure work place health and safety,” Lin said.

The Ministry enforces the Occupational Health and Safety, which came into effect in 1979.

Lin, speaking about cases in general, said that inspectors can issue orders to stop work if they find imminent danger, and that as the investigation goes on the inspectors can determine whether or not charges should be filed.

Screen Gems’ “Retribution 3D,” which stars Milla Jovovich and is being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, is the fifth installment of the movie franchise based on a popular videogame series. The last film, "Resident Evil: Afterlife," which was also directed by Anderson, grossed almost $300 million worldwide.

Cinespace studio declined to comment on the matter while the production office has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Comments