An accident on the set of an upcoming heist film starring Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer has injured several crew members, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The incident happened on the set of Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming film The Pickup, which is shooting in Atlanta, on Saturday. Per an Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson, the accident occurred during a second unit action sequence that had previously been rehearsed. “Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned and several members of the crew were injured as a result,” the spokesperson stated.
The spokesperson added, “We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering. The well-being of the entire crew and cast is our first priority, and we will continue to insist on the highest industry standards of safety while filming. All safety precautions were reviewed prior to and monitored during the shoot.”
On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the incident was a car crash that occurred when a truck “locked up” and hit another vehicle. According to an anonymous source that spoke with the AP, “It was a completely freak accident” during a stunt that wasn’t considered especially treacherous; two crew members were hospitalized as a result and one continued to be in the hospital on Tuesday. The injuries “ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones,” according to the report.
The crew union IATSE said in a statement, “IATSE is aware of an accident that took place on the Georgia set of ‘The Pickup’ and have started an inquiry.”
The Pickup, directed by The Blackening‘s Tim Story from a script by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider (Don’t), has been described in press reports as a heist comedy. Alongside Murphy and Palmer, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay and Marshawn Lynch are all set to star. Murphy is producing alongside Story, John David and John Fox with David Entertainment and Charisse Hewitt-Webster with Eddie Murphy Productions.
In January The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that production for the film was set to be based at Shadowbox Studios and run through June.