A British stuntman is suing one of the production companies behind "Gladiator II," saying a 2023 set accident left him with permanent burn scarring that still keeps him out of the sun. Edward Sarsfield, 47, of Liverpool, filed the claim at London's High Court, as the BBC first reported.
Sarsfield was working as an extra, playing a dead soldier, during a scene filmed in Morocco in which a coastal castle comes under siege from an approaching ship rigged with gas-powered flame bars to simulate fire. According to his court filing, a gas line exploded without warning only a few feet from where he was lying.
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.
From Edward Sarsfield's High Court filing
Colleagues threw water bottles over his burns before he was undressed, wrapped in clingfilm and flown by helicopter to a hospital in Marrakesh. The claim says he suffered flash burns across about 15% of his body, plus injuries to both knees and his right wrist, and was repatriated to the UK four days later for further treatment. He is seeking £200,000 in damages, citing permanent, hypersensitive scarring and lasting psychological effects. His other screen credits include "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," the series "Moonhaven" and a Troye Sivan music video, according to his filing.
Liability admitted, damages disputed
Sarsfield is suing August Street Films, a production subsidiary of Paramount. The company's legal defense has admitted liability for the accident itself but has not accepted his account of the injuries or agreed to the damages sought. At the time, Paramount said several crew members were hurt, describing the injuries as non-life-threatening and saying on-site medical teams had responded quickly.
"Gladiator II," Ridley Scott's sequel to his 2000 original starring Russell Crowe, was released in 2024 with Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington leading the cast. The accident, which occurred during production the previous year, was reported at the time as a stunt-related explosion injuring multiple crew members, though Sarsfield's suit is the first individual legal claim tied to the incident to become public. Sarsfield, August Street Films and Paramount all declined to comment further beyond their court filings.