The Walt Disney Company is being sued for £150,000 ($190,000) over an injury that took place on the set of The Little Mermaid, according to Variety.
What’s Happening:
- 74-year-old special effects artist Christine Overs, who specializes in making beach and snow sets, says she was sculpting a lagoon scene for the film at Pinewood Studios in October 2020 when she fell from a polystyrene step onto a concrete floor and broke her wrist.
- She states that the fall occurred due to a lack of “any adequate access to the set” provided by the production company.
- Overs told the Central London county court that following the accident, which required surgery and the insertion of steel pins into her arm, she struggles even to do up buttons and zips. Given her work requires fine finger movements, the incident had ruined the final years of her career and left her with a “substantial level of disability,” the court heard. She also reportedly still suffers from pain, disturbed sleep and swelling.
- The Disney-owned production company has admitted liability for the fall, but are disputing the figure that Overs is seeking. A legal trial to determine the amount will take place at a later date.
- Overs was previously a member of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and has additionally worked on films including Dune, Alien, Superman IV and GoldenEye.
- Check out our review of Disney’s latest live-action adaptation, and enjoy the film for yourself when it hits Disney+ on September 6th.
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