It's a sad day for those involved with the DC Universe comic book drama Titans. During rehearsal for a stunt sequence meant to be included in Season 2, things went wrong and it resulted in the death of a crew member.
Titans' stunt coordinator Warren Appleby was killed during a technical mishap on Thursday, July 18, in Toronto, Canada, where Titans films. The accident occurred at a test facility where stunt effects are rehearsed and perfected to the point where they can then be performed on-set for the camera.
The stunt that was being tested involved a car being flipped onto its side. While that part of the rehearsal was successful, it dislodged a piece of metal that been attached to part of the car. It's reported that the metal piece flew off and struck Appleby in the head while he was standing nearby.
According to TMZ, Warren Appleby was attended to by EMTs and was put on a stretcher, but it was reported by the local authorities that the stunt coordinator passed away while en route to the hospital.
Titans' production will be shut down for the next two days. The Ministry of Labour is said to be currently investigating the situation to make sure the accident was just that.
Below is the statement provided by Titans' executive producer team, which includes Greg Berlanti, Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Sarah Schechter and Greg Walker.
We are heartbroken and devastated by the passing of our treasured colleague, special effects coordinator Warren Appleby, after an accident which occurred at a special effects facility during the preparation and testing for an upcoming shoot. Warren is beloved by all who worked with him during an impressive 25-year career in television and motion pictures. The executive producers, along with everyone in the Titans family, Warner Bros. Television Group and DC UNIVERSE, wish to express our deepest condolences, and heartfelt love and support, to Warren’s family and friends at this most difficult time.
Warren Appleby served as a special effects coordinator on Titans throughout Season 1 and Season 2, which is set to introduce Deathstroke, and he already has a lot to show for his efforts. More of his latest work will also soon be seen on the big screen when Andy Muschietti's IT Chapter 2 (which coincidentally released its first big trailer today) comes out on September 6. He also worked on Peter Segal's upcoming family action-comedy My Spy with Dave Bautista.
In the past, Warren Appleby has shown off his talents on such memorable TV shows as Bryan Fuller's visually quirky Wonderfalls, FX's border drama The Bridge, Netflix's first horror series Hemlock Grove, FX's vampy thriller The Strain and Syfy's fan-favorite actioner Killjoys. His TV career actually kicked off on the RoboCop series in 1994.
On the big screen, Appleby has worked on a plethora of projects in the past 25 years, with some of the most noteworthy projects falling into darker genres. He reteamed with The Strain's Guillermo Del Toro for 2017's Best Picture winner The Shape of Water, worked on the Carrie remake and Andy Muschietti's Mama, and also on Saw IV and Dead Silence. He also worked with David Cronenberg a couple of times, though on his non-horror features Map to the Stars and Cosmopolis.
We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Warren Appleby during their time of mourning.
DC Universe is scheduled to take over San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night, where it's expected that some Titans Season 2 footage will be revealed, as well as a trailer for the upcoming Harley Quinn series with Kaley Cuoco. Fans can also expect footage for the ongoing Season 3 of Young Justice: Outsiders, as well as information about other projects in the pipeline. Will we get a Doom Patrol Season 2 reveal? Will Swamp Thing's quick cancellation get discussed? We'll just have to wait and see.
