A Perilous Practical Effect
Austin Abrams recently discovered that dedication to a role can carry significant risks. While working on the upcoming film Resident Evil, the 29-year-old actor narrowly avoided a fatal accident involving heavy, body-sized props designed to simulate gore.
Director Zach Cregger detailed the harrowing experience during a recent press event. The scene in question features Abrams' character, a medical courier named Bryan, desperately fleeing through the streets while a zombie apocalypse unfolds around him.
Choosing Realism Over VFX
Cregger explained that he was determined to avoid using computer-generated imagery for a specific sequence where bodies fall and detonate near the protagonist.
“I knew I didn’t want to do it with VFX because I feel like it would just look like VFX. So, I was like, ‘How do we do this where all these explosions are real?’”the director stated.
To achieve this, the production team utilized complex choreography and massive 150-pound “blood bags” dropped from cranes. Abrams had to sprint through the path of these falling objects repeatedly to capture the perfect shot.
A Brush With Tragedy
The commitment to practical effects nearly ended in disaster when one of the heavy bags veered off course, narrowly missing the actor's head. Cregger admitted,
“It would’ve killed him. If he had been one step to the right, he would’ve died.”Despite the danger, the director noted that the intensity of the moment made it into the final cut, calling the sequence “worth it.”
The Filmmaking Experience
Though the production presented various challenges and safety concerns, Cregger reflected positively on the collaborative nature of the project. He noted that seeing his creative vision come to life through the hard work of his team provided a profound sense of accomplishment.
Resident Evil is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 18.