The producer behind the New Orleans movie which recently saw the death of crew member James “Trapper” McEvoy has issued a first statement.
Deadline understands the movie in question is low-budget horror film Kill Me Now, which was gearing up to shoot this week until early December in the New Orleans area.
Lynn Gilman Williams, lead producer on the project, said in a message sent to Deadline: “We are devastated by the tragic loss of James “Trapper” McEvoy, a beloved member of the New Orleans film community. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who knew him and worked alongside him during this difficult time.”
The message came via crisis PR firm Edelman. Deadline has asked for more detail about the nature of the incident that led to McEvoy’s death and what the production is doing to investigate the circumstances.
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Deadline contacted the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office today and was told that McEvoy, a grip whose credits include Now You See Me, Pitch Perfect, and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, died by electrocution.
Several friends spoke of McEvoy’s death in social media posts on Monday evening, one of whom said that he was killed in “a tragic accident while working on set.”
In a statement to Deadline, IATSE confirmed that a crew member had died but did not disclose details about the victim, the accident, or the production on which it occurred.
It is unclear whether the production will continue.
Katie Campione and Denise Petski contributed to this report.