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Tragedy on Set of John Woo's "Red Cliff"

A fire broke out during an action sequence in John Woo's forthcoming Chinese language historical drama Red Cliff, killing a 23-year-old stuntman and injuring six others in the process. A small flaming boat was intended to collide into a bigger boat for an effect, but the blaze quickly escalated out of control.

The accident occurred earlier this week in Beijing, where the movie, based on the Chinese battle in 208 A.D. that brought about the end of the Han dynasty, is being filmed. A statement was released by the filmmakers, expressing distress and regret over the accident.

This isn't the first problem that the embattled production has faced. Since production began in April of 2007, the movie has been plagued by casting changes and was not able to film on the Yangtze River, forcing a false backdrop to be created.

The Chinese government endorses the flick and would like it to be released before the Olympics hit Beijing on August 8th. No word on whether that is a possibility for Woo, who also directed the Hollywood blockbusters Mission: Impossible II and Face/Off.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.11.08