Report: Filmmakers to blame for Dylan O’Brien Accident

Paul V. Rea
Movies
Movies

According to Canadian workplace safety officials, Dylan O’Brien wasn’t given proper instruction and was hooked up to faulty equipment before attempting a stunt that left the actor hospitalized and shut down filming on the latest Maze Runner sequel.

The Globe and Mail of Canada obtained a report from WorkSafe BC that details events leading up to the failed stunt on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure back in March. According to the report, O’Brien was given “minimal instruction” in how to navigate the scene which required him to jump from one moving vehicle to another.

The report also says the safety lanyard was too short which caused O’Brien to be pulled off one vehicle and suspended in the air between the two. A source describing the accident to  Teen Wolf News  said that “(Dylan was) yanked to the ground by his own safety vehicle and dragged under it.”

The new report also says changes were made to a “planned and rehearsed” action scene because they wanted to get the shot in one sequence instead of two.

“When the change was made to the sequence,” the report states, “there was no meeting held to review the changes with all involved. The worker performing the action sequence received minimal instruction on this new action sequence.”

Worksafe inspectors found that the change in the stunt increased the risk of injury because he was going between two vehicles that were not connected.

The rigger was reportedly trying to let out more rope to keep Dylan from being pulled off the lead vehicle but there wasn’t enough rope. “This resulted in the worker (O’Brien) being pulled off the leading vehicle, striking the ground due to the length of rope and then being partially suspended in front of the trailing vehicle. This resulted in a serious injury to the worker.”

O’Brien’s injuries were so bad that production of The Death Cure had to be scrapped. The studio has now delayed its planned release almost a year to January 2018.

The Globe  contacted Twentieth Century Fox studio for comment on the WorkSafe report. Chris Petrikin, the executive vice-president and chief communications officer, responded. “While we don’t agree with all of the findings of the Inspection Report, we deeply regret that this terrible accident occurred and the serious injuries it caused to Dylan O’Brien,”

Petrikin claims there are “inaccuracies” in the report but would not elaborate on what those might be. He also declined to answer questions about the future of the film or O’Brien’s current condition saying only, “Our primary concern now is Dylan’s full recovery from this accident.”

Paul V. Rea
A monster science created but could not destroy; Paul V. Rea is a radio, TV and web journalist based in Clarkesville, Georgia. Paul is addicted to television of all genres and can often be found mouthing off about things he sees @paulvrea on Twitter.