Harrison Ford faced 'risk of death' on 'Star Wars' set, UK court rules
The automatic door malfunction on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens that left actor Harrison Ford with a broken leg -- among other injuries -- and an extended recovery vacation could have been a lot worse.
The Disney-owned Foodles Production, which built the hydraulic door that caused the accident, pled guilty to two charges of broken health and safety regulations. The court concurred with prosecutor Andrew Marshall that Ford faced a "risk of death" in the accident.
"It could have killed somebody," Marshall told the court (via The Guardian). "The fact that it didn't was because an emergency stop was activated."
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The door in question was part of the Millennium Falcon set, and in the movie it was meant to be an automatic door that slid up from the floor when it open. In actuality the door was operated by an actual person during the shoot.
Ford was injured when the door closed while he walked under it, but it allegedly would have been worse if someone -- presumably the crew's door operator -- hadn't hit the emergency switch. An investigation found that the door descended with the weight of a small car.
The defense saw things a little differently, with defender Angus Whithington taking issue with the level of risk Ford actually faced. Regardless, Foodles accepted the ruling in a public statement as it wait for the Aug. 22 sentencing.
"The safety of our cast and crew was always a top priority throughout the production," a statement given to The Guardian read.
The Health and Safety Executive -- the U.K. governing body that oversees employee safety and welfare -- which conducted the investigation applauded the ruling in a separate statement.
The British film industry has a world-renowned reputation for making exceptional films. Managing on-set risks in a sensible and proportionate way for all actors and staff – regardless of their celebrity status – is vital to protecting both on-screen and off-screen talent, as well as protecting the reputation of the industry.
Ford's widely documented injury halted production on The Force Awakens for two weeks, but knocked the 71-year-old actor out of commission for considerably longer than that.
Update: A spokesperson for Foodles Production (UK) Ltd. provided Mashable with the below statement.
“Foodles Ltd. has provided full cooperation throughout HSE’s investigation into the on-set accident that occurred in June 2014. The safety of our cast and crew was always a top priority throughout the production.”
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
