British actor Ralph Ineson is suing Disney in a suit that alleges he sustained injury filming a scene in fantasy TV show Willow.
The UK’s Sun newspaper reports that Ineson, 54, claims to have suffered permanent shoulder damage in a night shoot during the production in the UK of the Disney+ TV sequel to the hit 1988 movie.
His claim in the London High Court details that, on set in South Wales in July 2021, Ineson was dressed as a knight in armour and battling with a nine-foot-tall ogre called The Scourge when he fell awkwardly and dislocated his shoulder.
Ineson is now suing the Walt Disney Company Ltd for damages of up to £150,000 ($190,500), claiming that his injuries have prevented him taking on subsequent physical roles, with his ability to play roles involving fighting and horse-riding permanently impaired. His suit details that the producers are liable through exerting pressure of filming to deadline, and not cleaning the steps where Ineson fell.
Ineson got his TV break in 2001, appearing as David Brent’s nemesis, Finchy, in Ricky Gervais’s hit UK sitcom The Office. He has gone on to appear in the final two Harry Potter movies, and as Cleftjaw in Game of Thrones.
The Sun reports that Disney’s defence against the claim has not yet been made public.
The movie Willow, starring Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, was released in May 1988. From a production budget of $35million, it went on to earn £137.6m at the international box office.
