Two actors died this week in a traffic accident during the production of a Netflix series in the Baja California peninsula in Mexico.
The actors and cultural managers Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar, known as Paco Mufote, were taking part in the filming of "The Chosen One" when the accident occurred, in which six other people were also injured.
Through a press release, the Baja California Ministry of Culture regretted the death of the artists, whom it considered a key piece to promoting culture inside and outside the state.
“The Ministry of Culture of Baja California deeply regrets the death of the renowned scenic creator, actor, and promoter of the company Inmigrantes Teatro and organizer of the ICBC Children's Theater Week Raymundo Garduño Cruz. The artistic and Baja Californian community loses an important cultural manager and a great fan of scenic art," the letter reads.
In turn, Juan González, also known as "Paco Mufote" was a renowned promoter, actor, and musician from Baja California.
Local portals in Baja California Sur reported last Thursday the accident in which a white van overturned at the height of the Santa Rosalía-Loreto highway section.
Just hours before the tragedy, Garduño had posted a photo with members of the team. “The desert work and happiness with the and the compass”, he had written.
The Screen Actors Guild of the United States is investigating further details of the accident. “SAG-AFTRA has been in contact with Netflix and the Mexican actors union ANDA about this incident and we are investigating the circumstances with the local production,” a spokesperson said. “Safety on set is always our top priority. We will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that our members and others are safe in their workplace," they added to the organization.
Netflix declined to comment, but production has halted, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who declined to be identified because she was not authorized to speak publicly, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In a publication on its official page, the writer Rick Zazueta denounced that the company used vehicles in poor condition to transport the members of the project, even when they had to move between cities hundreds of kilometers away on roads that, due to their deterioration, They also represent a risk. "His death is a tragedy, not only because of the theft of this talent but mainly because these deaths are to blame... The actors have not stopped complaining about how badly they are being treated specifically in terms of transportation and logistics... old panels with smooth tires, tired and over-exploited drivers - the actors transported like cattle to save a few pesos ”, he published on his networks.
According to the call for auditions, the series is being recorded by an independent production company.
According to ComicBook, "The chosen one" (as it is titled in English) began filming in Mexico in April of this year. Netflix describes the series this way: “A 12-year-old boy discovers that he is Jesus Christ and that he has returned to Earth to save humanity. Based on the comic series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross."
