During the filming of the third installment of the Expendables franchise in 2013, actor Jason Statham experienced a serious accident involving a truck. He later described it as a “true wake-up call.” The Expendables series is renowned for its nostalgic throwbacks to classic action movies from the past, featuring veteran performers such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, and more. Rather than relying on superheroes or heavy visual effects, the franchise’s main star, Stallone, has been joined by Statham, who has taken up the mantle from older icons of the genre by the time the first movie premiered in 2010.
Statham’s skills in martial arts have been showcased in popular movies like “The Transporter,” “Crank,” and “The Mechanic.” In the upcoming fourth installment of the “Expendables” series, Statham is set to assume his place. However, in “The Expendables 3,” Statham’s role was slightly diminished due to the nature of the story, with him being absent in the middle act. Nonetheless, he still managed to shine in the film. Unfortunately, while filming “The Expendables 3,” a stunt that seemed simple almost turned fatal for the actor. Let’s delve into the incident that occurred during the making of “The Expendables 3.”
In the opening scenes of The Expendables 3, the team embarks on a mission to Somalia. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned, and they find themselves in a high-speed chase with the villain’s henchmen. Jason Statham’s character is driving a flatbed truck, and the scene concludes with him flipping it over while the team fires at their pursuers. Interestingly, this scene was actually filmed in Bulgaria, where during one rehearsal, the brakes failed, causing the truck to plunge into the Black Sea. Despite being a former diver who competed for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Statham panicked when his gun holster got snagged. He managed to escape through an open window and was rescued by the film crew. Statham later admitted that the accident put things into perspective for him.
During a press event for The Expendables 3, Statham and his co-stars shared details about a filming accident. Despite the potentially dangerous situation, they recounted it as if it were a humorous anecdote. However, Statham admitted that it had a lasting impact on him, calling it a “grim experience” but also stating that it provided perspective. According to Statham, the incident caused him to be more grateful for life and the ability to walk. While some movie accidents can lead to permanent injury or death, Statham was able to find a positive takeaway from this scary incident.