What happened to Joe Watts? Fast & Furious filmmakers fined $1M after stuntman’s brain damage injury

Joe Watts, the professional stunt performer and member of The British Stunt Register, broke his skull while filming the ninth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise in 2019. On Friday, November 24, 2023, the Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga filmmakers FF9 Pictures, a multimillion-pound subsidiary of Universal Pictures, were fined £800,000 ($1 million) at Luton Magistrates' Court after Watts suffered from brain damage.

The 2019 incident happened at Warner Brothers' studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. Watts fell 25 feet (7 meters) and suffered brain damage after his safety line detached during the stunt. FF9 Pictures has accepted the fine and admitted health and safety failings in court, as per BBC.

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Fast & Furious filmmakers fined $1M after stuntman Joe Watts breaks skull on F9 set

Fast & Furious is a series of action films that are based on street racing, heists, spies, and family. Universal Pictures has made 12 movies in the franchise, and Joe Watts was a part of the ninth film called Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga, which was released on June 25, 2021.

Joe Watts had previously worked on various high-profile productions, including Game of Thrones, Johnny English Strikes Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as per IMDb.

In July 2019, Watts was on the set of Warner Bros. Studios in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, when he reportedly fell 25 feet head-first onto the concrete ground during a staged fight scene. The FF9 Pictures was fined £800,000 on Friday for Watts's injuries after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) assessed the incident, and UK Judge Talwinder Buttar said the stuntman was "fortunate to be alive."

As per the original stunt, Joe Watts was supposed to be thrown over a performer’s right shoulder. The production, however, made a last-minute change, and Joe was told he would be thrown over the actor’s left shoulder. This resulted in the stuntman missing the crash mats that had been set out for him.

Joe Watts suffered a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injury, which left him permanently impaired and disabled, according to the court filings. As per Variety, the stuntman was also in a coma for five days, and he had a psychiatric injury and damage to his shoulder.

The safety line that was placed there in case of an accident had reportedly not been checked between takes, and it detached from his vest on the second take. The UK Judge slammed FF9 Pictures, saying that it was "astonishing" the matting was not adjusted despite the change in the routine from rehearsals from the right shoulder to the left.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also stated that FF9 had "no system for double-checking that the link had been properly engaged and tightened." They explained that the firm "did not extend the crash matting needed to mitigate the consequences of an unintended fall following changes to the set and the sequence of the stunt," as per The New York Post.

HSE inspector Roxanne Barker told the court that,

"Mr Watts' injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed. In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimizing the risk of an injury."

FF9 has agreed to pay the $1 million fine and admitted health and safety failings in court.

Fast and Furious 9: The Fast Saga featured a star-laden cast of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and John Cena. Other actors also joined the franchise, including Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron, as per BBC.