Gladiator II stuntman sues over injuries from on-set explosion

A British stuntman and actor is suing one of the companies behind Gladiator II, saying he suffered "excruciating" burns and permanent scarring in an accident while filming a scene on a burning ship.

Edward Sarsfield was playing a dead soldier in the movie in 2023 when a gas line used for special effects exploded on the vessel, causing 20ft flames that made his costume catch fire, his legal claim said.

He "panicked and ran" before colleagues threw bottles of water over his burns, which covered about 15% of his body, including his face, his arms and hands, he said.

Sarsfield is suing August Street Films, whose defence said it admits liability for the accident, but has not made an admission about the alleged injuries or agreed to the requested £200,000 damages.

Gladiator II, released in 2024, was the long-awaited sequel to the hit 2000 drama starring Russell Crowe. The follow-up was directed by Sir Ridley Scott and starred Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington.

Sarsfield, 47, from Liverpool, said he was working as an extra in a scene in Morocco in which a coastal castle was under siege from an approaching ship.

"The Claimant, playing a dead soldier, was lying on the port side of a ship which had been lit up by gas powered flame bars to simulate it being on fire," according to documents he filed at London's High Court.

"He was positioned only a few feet away from the gas line. Without warning, there was a gas explosion that caught the Claimant and blew him forwards.

"He saw 20 foot tall flames and felt immense heat. His costume caught fire. He was immediately aware that strips of skin had peeled from his arms.

"He panicked and ran, falling over a few times before escaping the flames. Bottles of water were thrown on him by colleagues, he was undressed and clingfilm was applied to his burns."

The legal claim said he suffered "flash burns" to 15% of his body, plus injuries to both knees and his right wrist, and was flown by helicopter to hospital in Marrakesh.

"He remained in excruciating pain. Treatment there was limited," Sarsfield's claim said. He was repatriated to the UK four days later, where his wounds were "treated appropriately" in hospital.

"Formerly a man of considerable physical prowess, the Claimant suffered considerable physical de-conditioning," with limitations to his mobility, and also suffered psychological symptoms, his claim said.

It added: "He has sustained significant scarring that is permanent and which is hypersensitive. He needs to keep out of the sun."

August Street Films' legal defence said "no admissions are made as to the alleged injuries sustained by the Claimant".

The company is a subsidiary of film studio Paramount, which said several people were hurt in the accident.

A Paramount spokesperson said in 2023: "While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries.

"The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment.

"The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production."

Sarsfield, August Street Films and Paramount declined to comment further.