All things surrounding the Resident Evil franchise have had a rough go of it as of late, starting with fans' negative reception to Project Resistance. To add fuel to the fire, Olivia Jackson, stunt performer for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, is now suing the film's producers for misrepresentation and breach of contract due to an injurious incident that occurred during the production of the film, leaving her in a medically-induced coma.
In 2016, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was released to mostly negative reviews. While the upcoming Resident Evil movie is getting back to the game series' roots, allegedly, the previous film series had been poorly received as a whole, and it appears that the movies may have been affected by some behind-the-scenes instances.
Jackson claims that she is suing the producers for paying close attention to "financial considerations over safety." Allegedly, Jackson incurred the injury during a motorcycle scene that she illustrates was "dangerous and technically complex" and added that the scene was performed in "adverse weather." Ultimately, Jackson hit an obstructive camera crane, with the camera "slicing through the bone of her forearm and tearing the flesh off her cheek," which ended up exposing her teeth. Additional injuries resulted in the amputation of her left arm.
According to Jackson, her insurance for her work on the Resident Evil film did not provide full coverage, as was originally stated by the film's producers. Instead, she had been compensated with $33,000 toward the damages. Furthermore, Jackson's husband had been told that by the film's producers that they would completely cover her rehabilitation and medical recovery; an offer they ultimately rescinded.
As a result, Jackson is seeking unspecified compensation in a suit she has filed against Paul WS Anderson, Jeremy Bolt, Bolt Pictures, and Tannhauser Gate. Thus far, the defendants have not publicly responded to the suit, though Jackson described in immense detail the damages she sustained, including several broken ribs, an amputated thumb, brain swelling, and other injuries.
If it is true that the Resident Evil film producers misled Jackson and her husband in this saga, then it is very unfortunate. For all intents and purposes, Jackson can no longer perform the stunts she once did, though she appears to have a positive attitude on this, saying on Facebook that above all, she is "grateful to be alive."
As for the Resident Evil franchise in other forms of media, including both the movie and upcoming Resident Evil TV series, it can only be hoped that future producers and involved parties don't go through similar occurrences. Furthermore, hopefully Jackson can continue on with a positive attitude in what seems to be a tragic situation.
Source: GameSpot