Two actors on the Netflix series The Chosen One were killed and six other cast or crew members were injured after the van they were riding in crashed near Mulege on the Baja California Sur peninsula.
Local media reported the crash occurred on June 16, and said the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area. The crew had apparently been working in the nearby Santa Rosalia area at the time.
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The accident did not occur on set and the van was in transit from Santa Rosalía to the local airport when the crash took place, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.
The Baja California Department of Culture said Friday that Raymundo Garduño Cruz and Juan Francisco González Aguilar died. The six injured and currently unnamed production members include two other actors and four members of the crew who are all currently stable, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Redrum, the production company behind The Chosen One, has temporarily paused production on the series. An investigation is ongoing.
Netflix describes The Chosen One this way: “A 12-year-old boy learns he’s the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind. Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross.”
In a statement Monday, a Netflix spokesperson said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that took the lives of Ray Garduño and Juan Francisco González. Our thoughts are with their loved ones and with those injured during this unfortunate accident.”
Meanwhile, a Redrum spokesperson echoed the deep sadness about the deaths of Garduno and Gonzalez and added that everyone working on the show is “shocked” by the “tragic accident,” while they are also “closely supporting all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy.”
The Redrum statement continued: “Redrum has been cooperating with local authorities and initial reports and accounts from witnesses indicate that all safety protocols were in place and this was an unfortunate accident.”
June 20, 12:37 p.m. This story has been updated with statements from Netflix and Redrum.
This story was first published on June 18 at 9:29 a.m.
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