‘Fast & Furious 9’ Producers Fined Over Stunt Performer’s ‘Life-Changing’ Injuries on Set

The producers of F9, the ninth installment of Universal’s Fast & Furious movie franchise, have been fined $1 million after a stunt performer on the film suffered “life-changing” injuries.

FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, pleaded guilty to breaching the U.K.’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court. District Judge Talwinder Buttar fined the company £800,000 ($1 million) and $18,600 in costs.

The prosecution stems from 2019 when stunt performer Joe Watts was severely injured during a stunt that went wrong and was thrown 25 feet onto a concrete floor. Watts suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury, which has had a long-term impact on his impairment. An investigation determined that the line on his stunt vest had become detached, causing him to fall.

The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive said FF9 Pictures had not addressed the possibility of a “rope snap or link failure” during the initial risk assessment of the stunt. The investigation also cited other failings, including a lack of inspection of Watts’ harness within the last six months and the failure to extend crash matting after the sequence of the stunt was changed.

“Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed,” said HSE inspector Roxanne Barker. “In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimizing the risk of an injury.”

Watts is currently suing FF9 Pictures for $1.2 million for personal injury. The lawsuit notes that the stunt performer, who also worked on films like Solo: A Star Wars Story and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, “will not be able to return to his pre-accident employment.” It adds, “If he is able to work, he will suffer a permanent handicap on the labour market.”

F9 was directed by Justin Lin and released in 2021. Its sequel, Fast X, premiered earlier this year.