‘Star Wars’ film company in court after Harrison Ford broke leg

LONDON, United Kingdom – The production company behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is being prosecuted in Britain over an incident on set which left actor Harrison Ford with a broken leg, health and safety officials said Thursday, February 11.

Ford, 73, was struck by a heavy door at Pinewood Studios west of London on the film’s Millennium Falcon spaceship set in June 2014 and airlifted to hospital afterwards.

Now Foodles Production UK will appear in court in May to face 4 charges alleging that it breached health and safety law as Ford reprised his role as Han Solo.

“The charges relate to an incident during filming of ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens’, which left Harrison Ford with serious injuries after he was hit by a heavy hydraulic door,” Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the official body responsible for workplace safety, said in a statement.

“By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers – this is as true on a film set as a factory floor,” it added.

A hearing will take place at a court near the studios on May 12.

A spokeswoman for the film production company said that safety was “always a top priority.”

“We provided full cooperation during HSE’s investigation into the on-set accident that occurred in June 2014 and are disappointed in HSE’s decision,” she added.

“The Force Awakens”, the 7th installment in the Star Wars series, has been a huge hit – in December, it became the fastest movie ever to pass the $1 billion mark in global box office sales. – Rappler.com