UPDATE: Good news. Deadline says the injury is “superficial,” and will not impact start of production on “Heat 2.” No need for Steven Soderbergh to step in.
EARLIER: Not the Michael Mann headline anyone wanted to wake up to.
According to TMZ, the 83-year-old director was rushed to a hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at The Range LA, an indoor shooting facility in Los Angeles. A source told the outlet that Mann was apparently trying to holster his weapon around 4 PM when the gun discharged. He was taken away by ambulance.
Authorities described it as a training accident, stressing the victim had no intention of harming himself. Mann's rep hasn't responded to requests for comment, and there's no word yet on how serious the wound is.
Which brings us to “Heat 2.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. The sequel was reported to start filming in January, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale expected to lead and Amazon/MGM backing a production of roughly $170M. The shoot was planned across Los Angeles, Chicago, Paraguay and Singapore.
A gunshot wound to the leg, even a "minor" one, is not nothing at 83. Recovery, possible surgery, physical therapy, mobility issues — and this is a four-country location shoot run by one of the most hands-on, physically demanding directors working. If he needs even a couple of months to get back on his feet, you're looking at pushed start dates, scrambled schedules for two of the busiest stars in Hollywood. This could result in a domino effect that could push things back significantly.
Hopefully the injury is minor, and we’re all wishing Mann a speedy recovery, that’s he's home by midweek, and this becomes a weird footnote, but if that doesn’t materialize, it could be a problem.
Mann, 83, was rushed to a hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at The Range LA, an indoor shooting facility in Los Angeles.