Mexico: 2 ‘The Chosen One’ Actors Dead After Fatal Car Crash, 6 Other Cast and Crew Members Injured
Some sad news from the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico, as the two actors from the upcoming Netflix original series, "The Chosen One," died when their van crashed in the area. Six cast and crew members were also injured in the crash.
Netflix told USA Today in a statement that the incident did not occur during filming and that the car crash near Mulegé happened on June 16 when the van carrying cast and crew members was in transit from Santa Rosalía to the local airport.
The Baja California Department of Culture said the two actors who died were identified Friday as Raymundo Garduño Cruz and Juan Francisco González Aguilar.
Local media reported that the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area. As the crash happened, the crew was apparently working in the nearby Santa Rosalia area at the time.
Friends of 'The Chosen One' Victims Complained About Poor Transportation and Logistics
After the accident, Liliana Conlisk Gallegos, a friend of Juan Francisco González Aguilar, told The Daily Beast that she was both heartbroken and outraged.
She also told the outlet that she heard about "The Chosen One" actors' complaints about poor transportation and logistics. She noted that she heard reports of abuse and exploitation shared by people in the production, and she demanded that this be further investigated.
She added that if nothing was wrong, there should not be an issue in providing information.
"It pains me to think he was taken advantage of, that he was being forced to work in subpar conditions, especially for a multimillionaire company like Netflix," Gallegos said.
Gallegos also talked about her friend, stating that he was a great actor who touched everyone's hearts. She described Aguilar as someone who loved acting and playing music and had dedicated himself to the craft despite suffering from economic hardships.
"I am not accusing Netflix of anything. I just demand that there is further investigation," Gallegos noted. The Daily Beast reported that Netflix declined to comment on Gallegos' statement.
But it was not only friends and family of the car crash victims who criticized the production. Novelist Rick Zazueta also demanded an investigation. In a Facebook post on Friday, Zazueta blamed the Mexican film industry for the incident and said those close to the production had known that the logistics had been terrible.
He noted that actors have complained about how badly they are being treated, with the film crew and actors "transported like cattle to save a few pesos."
Zazueta called for a change in the Mexican film industry and told "The Chosen One" producers Everardo Gout and Stacy Perskie to face the issue themselves.
Netflix's 'The Chosen One' Was Supposed to Be Based on Mark Millar's American Jesus Comic Book
According to Netflix, "The Chosen One" is based on the comic book by Mark Millar and Peter Gross titled "American Jesus." It's about a 12-year-old who learns that he is the return of Jesus Christ and it is his destiny to save mankind.
Netflix announced plans to produce a TV series based on the comics in 2018. Production company Redrum is producing the show, but they have temporarily paused it due to the incident.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
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