Stuntman dies during "Red Cliff" filming

Enlarge image

By Alex S. Dai

SHANGHAI (Hollywood Reporter) - A stuntman died and six crew members were injured Monday in a fire on the set of John Woo’s "Red Cliff."

Co-producer Lion Rock Prods. said the accident occurred while a scene was being shot that involved a burning ship crashing into another ship. High winds caused the fire to quickly grow out of control, engulfing both ships in flames.

The accident took place at about 3 a.m. in Xiaotang Shan, on the outskirts of Beijing.

"The crew of ’Red Cliff’ is deeply distraught and full of regret," Lion Rock said. "Every effort is being made to make arrangements for the deceased, his family and the injured crew members."

Woo received news of the accident while in Hong Kong promoting Part 1 of the two-part film, set for release in early July in most of Asia. He is travelling back to Beijing to assess the situation and complete filming.

"Red Cliff" is billed as China’s largest production to date. The $80 million (41 million pound) historical drama is a co-production between U.S.-based Lion Rock, China Film Group and Japan’s Avex Entertainment.

The film stars Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, China’s Zhang Fengyi and Taiwan’s Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Advertisement starts

Advertisement ends