Fast & Furious 9 Studio Hit with £800k Fine After Shocking Stunt Accident
Stuntman Left Fighting for Life After 25ft Fall
FF9 Pictures, a branch of Universal Pictures, has been slapped with a massive £800,000 fine following a horrific stunt accident on the set of Fast & Furious 9 at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios.
Joe Watts, a stunt professional from Surrey, was filming a fight scene on July 22, 2019, when disaster struck. His safety wire snapped mid-stunt, sending him plummeting 25 feet headfirst onto concrete. The fall left him with severe brain damage and a fractured skull — injuries that changed his life forever.
Court Slams Studio for Safety Failings
At Luton Magistrates’ Court, FF9 Pictures admitted breaking health and safety laws surrounding the incident. The court heard that the stunt involved Watts being thrown over a performer’s left shoulder — a last-minute change from rehearsals over the right shoulder.
This switch went unchecked, and crucially, the safety wire wasn’t properly inspected between takes. As a result, the harness failed during filming.
District Judge Talwinder Buttar warned: “Mr Watts is fortunate to be alive.” The judge criticised the production for not updating safety measures or repositioning crash mats after altering the stunt.
Health and Safety Executive Uncovers Critical Oversights
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which led the prosecution, revealed the production lacked a system to double-check the safety line’s fit and tension. Even more alarming, the harness hadn’t been inspected for over six months — a breach of safety protocols.
Calls for Tighter On-Set Safety After Shock Fallout
The fallout from Joe Watts’ near-fatal fall has cast a harsh spotlight on stunt safety in the film industry. Experts and fans alike are demanding stricter enforcement of safety rules, especially during risky action sequences, to prevent another tragedy on set.
For more on court rulings and safety reforms in film production, keep an eye on updates from the HSE and industry reports.
