The cast and crew of Deadpool 2, and indeed the wider film industry at large, were left in a state of shock yesterday afternoon following the sudden death of stuntwoman Joi “SJ” Harris in Vancouver, Canada, who was killed when an on-set motorcycle stunt went horribly, horribly wrong.
Ryan Reynolds, a Vancouver native and the title star of David Leitch’s 2018 sequel, expressed his condolences in a heartfelt statement, stating that Joi’s passing had left him “heartbroken, shocked and devastated.” It’s believed that Joi Harris, an experienced road racer, was doubling for Domino (Zazie Beetz) at the time of the accident, and came off her motorcycle after multiple takes of the same scene. Police are still investigating whether this is due to human error or some as-yet-unidentified technical fault, though Deadline did confirm that Harris wasn’t wearing a helmet.
Also included in the outlet’s report was news that production on Deadpool 2 has since been shut down to accommodate the tragedy. Exactly when filming will resume is yet to be determined, but one would assume that a lengthy break will affect the pic’s current release date. Spoilers: it’s June 1st, 2018. For now, at least.
This is the second high-profile on-set death in North America in as many months. Four weeks ago, production on The Walking Dead season 8 ground to a halt after John Bernecker suffered fatal head injuries. Filming has since resumed ahead of the show’s return on October 22nd.
Elsewhere, Mission: Impossible 6 has also been forced into a temporary hiatus to allow time for Tom Cruise’s recovery, after the actor was left seriously injured after a London rooftop stunt went awry. Word is that M:I 6 will be on ice for “months” while Cruise nurses his broken bones, though we’re yet to hear any official word from either Paramount Pictures or director Christopher McQuarrie.
Deadpool 2, meanwhile, is still slated for release on June 1st, 2018.
