Principal photography on Deadpool 2 has resumed two days after the tragic death of a stuntwoman on set. The driver, who has since been identified as Joi “SJ” Harris, lost control of her motorcycle and crashed while filming a scene on Monday, August 14. Following the accident, 20th Century Fox immediately shut down production while the authorities conducted their investigation. At the time, it was unknown how long the sequel would be on hiatus.
Viewers may recall that AMC’s The Walking Dead went through something similar earlier this year when a stuntman passed away from injuries suffered in an accident. In that case, filming on the hit series started back up a few days later. It appears Deadpool 2 likewise won’t encounter any lengthy delays, and the cameras have started up again.
According to Deadline, the followup to the 2016 blockbuster picks back up in Vancouver on Wednesday, August 16, with filming running through August 17. This means the movie should remain on course for its previously scheduled June 2018 release date. Deadpool 2 is one of three X-Men universe films Fox has planned to premiere next year, along with New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
The examination of the situation has brought to light new details about the accident. Per Deadline‘s report, Harris was brought in as a last minute replacement when it was determined the production was in need of a new stunt driver. She joined the crew only a week ago. Harris was playing Domino and had filmed “several takes successfully” of her scene before the accident. As was previously mentioned, Harris was not wearing a helmet at the time of her death. Deadline notes the stunt driver Harris replaced did have a helmet to go under the Domino wig, but since Harris was such a late addition, she didn’t have time to get one made for her. This information is troubling, as safety should always be the top priority when filming potentially dangerous sequences.
From the sound of things, the investigation is still ongoing, meaning more details about what happened could come out in the near future. This is a difficult situation for all involved, and the best they can do right now is push forward and work on completing the film. Hopefully, the crew takes all of the necessary precautions so none of the forthcoming stunts left to be filmed end in tragedy.
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