The Fast & Furious franchise is all about high-speed thrills, but one F9 stunt went dangerously off track. Back in 2019, stuntman Joe Watts suffered a near-fatal fall on set, leaving him with brain damage and a broken skull. Years later, the fallout hit hard, and filmmakers were fined $1M for major safety failures.
Watts, a veteran stunt performer (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Game of Thrones), stood in for Vin Diesel when things went south. A safety wire malfunction sent him flying over a balcony, slamming onto concrete from over 20 feet. The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) led the prosecution, calling him “fortunate to be alive.”
His injuries were severe. His attorneys confirmed he would never return to stunt work, saying, “If he is able to work, he will suffer a permanent handicap on the labor market.” The court also learned that the stunt was altered at the last minute – originally, Watts was supposed to be thrown over a person’s right shoulder, but during filming, he was thrown over the left. Between takes, his safety line detached and wasn’t checked, and the crash mats weren’t adjusted. When he fell, there was nothing to break his impact.
District Judge Talwinder Buttar called it “astonishing” that safety checks weren’t followed. HSE inspector Roxanne Barker emphasized how critical proper safety measures are in stunt work, saying, “Mr. Watts’ injuries were life-changing, and he could have easily been killed. In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimizing the risk of an injury.”
FF9 Pictures, a UK-based subsidiary of Universal Pictures, admitted to safety failures and received a $1 million fine from Luton Magistrates’ Court. This ruling is a stark reminder that even in Hollywood, cutting corners on safety can have devastating consequences.
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