British stuntman sues Gladiator II makers for £200,000 after he caught fire in explosion on burning ship

Published: 11:27 EDT, 7 November 2026 | Updated: 11:31 EDT, 7 November 2026 A British stuntman is suing the makers of Gladiator II for £200,000 after he caught fire in an explosion on a burning ship.Edward Sarsfield was playing a dead soldier in the sequel to the Sir Ridley Scott epic, Gladiator, when a gas line on the boat exploded setting him alight.Engulfed in flames, the 47-year-old stuntman 'panicked and ran' as crew members threw bottles of water over him.He suffered 15 per cent burns on his body including his hands, face and arms causing 'excruciating pain' and permanent scarring, according to the claim.Six crew members including the stuntman were rushed to hospital while Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington watched on in terror.Mr Sarsfield is now suing August Street Films who admitted liability for the accident, for £200,000 in damages.The Liverpudlian was working as an extra on the scene in Morocco where an armada of Roman vessels attack a castle when the accident took place.He was lying down on the port side of the ship which was 'lit up by gas powered flame bars to simulate it being on fire', according to London High Court documents. Eddie Sarsfield was set alight after a gas line on a boat exploded during the filming of Gladiator II The 47-year-old was working as an extra in the scene depicting a naval attack on a castle'He was positioned only a few feet away from the gas line. Without warning, there was a gas explosion that caught the Claimant and blew him forwards.'Mr Sarsfield then saw 20ft tall flames and felt an 'immense heat' making him 'immediately aware that strips of skin had peeled from his arms'. 'He panicked and ran, falling over a few times before escaping the flames. Bottles of water were thrown on him by colleagues, he was undressed and clingfilm was applied to his burns.'Alongside 'flash burns' to his body, he injured both knees and his right wrist and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Marrakesh, it was claimed.After four days of 'limited' treatment and 'excruciating pain', Mr Sarsfield returned to the UK where his wounds were 'treated appropriately'.The claim added that he had also suffered 'considerable physical de-conditioning' and 'sustained significant scarring' meaning he needs to stay out of the sun.At the time of the accident, an on-set source shared their hopes that the injured crew members would make a full recovery.'It was terrifying - a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path,' the source recalled. 'In years of filming I’ve never seen an accident so scary.' The Liverpudlian is suing August Street Films, a subsidiary of Paramount, for £200,000 in damages The claim filed in London's High Court said Mr Sarsfield felt an 'immense heat' and immediately realised he was on fire'Hopefully everyone will be OK, but it was a serious accident,' the source added. 'Everyone involved, from the lowliest runners to the star names, has been shaken up by this.'In a statement made in 2023, a Paramount spokesperson said: 'While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries.'The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment.'The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. 'We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.'Do YOU have a story? Email Joshua.Haining@dailymail.co.uk