Making a movie is tough work, and it requires the talents of a ton of people to make it go off without a hitch. In bigger actions movies like James Bond, any DC flick, or even MCU movies, we see a ton of amazing stunts that dazzle us with each viewing. It may be easy to take these for granted, but there is so much to appreciate with these moments that help elevate their films.

During the filming of The Hangover Part II, a tragic accident took place that completely rocked the set. This close call quickly made headlines, and the story behind what happened is proof that one mistake is all it takes for things to unravel in a hurry.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at what happened on the set of The Hangover Part II.

The Scene In Question

The Hangover
Via infoforum.com

In order to properly set the scene of what happened during the fateful evening of shooting The Hangover II, we need to take a look at the scene in question and everything surrounding the film itself.

For those that don’t remember, The Hangover Part II was meant to be the major follow-up film to The Hangover, which was a massive hit at the box office. That first film offered something fresh for comedy fans, and it had memorable moments and lines that truly helped it stand out from the pack during the time of its release.

Naturally, The Hangover Part II needed to take thing up to a new level, and for the film, there were plenty of high stakes moments that really ramped things up. The scene in which the accident took place was meant to be a major chase scene that involved some of the primary characters in the film.

The film, which is set in Bangkok, was going for some nifty action moments during this chase scene, and on screen, it wound up looking great. Of course, audiences may not have been entirely aware of what happened the evening that this was being filmed.

As we will soon learn, one mistake was all it took for performer Scott McLean to have his life changed in the blink of an eye. In fact, this one moment sent him into a lengthy legal battle with the studio behind the film.

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Stunt Performer Scott McLean Was Seriously Hurt

Scott McLean
Via YouTube.com

Now that we have some context about the scene that was being filmed, let’s get into what took place with stunt performer Scott McLean, who was subbing in for actor Ed Helms during the scene.

According to Quora, this scene called for McLean to have his head out of the window of the car during the chase. The site notes that court documents for McLean’s lawsuit stated that a coordinator “commanded the driver...that the speed of his vehicle be increased significantly to a speed unsafe for the stunt."

This wound up causing a massive problem, as the speed of the vehicle led to unsafe conditions, which ultimately caused the accident. During the filming of the scene, McLean would slam his head into a nearby truck, causing him far more issues that any person on set would even realize.

McLean’s accident on set would eventually give way to a cascade of health problems. Not only did this have an impact on him, but it also had an impact on his immediate family.

Eventually, McLean’s family would take matters into their own hands and make a legal play to gain compensation for the accident that was caused on set.

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A Lawsuit Was Filed

Scott McLean
Via amazon.com

Scott McLean was seriously injured while filming a stunt for The Hangover Part II, and he would eventually launch into a lawsuit against the studio seeking compensation for the life-altering accident.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, McLean and his family were still looking for compensation years after Part II had been filmed. In fact, it was during the release of Part III that the Herald reported that McLean was still in search of closure.

The Herald reports that McLean needed 24-hour care, oxygen and that he was regularly suffering from seizures. All of this stemmed from the accident that took place that night, and it is gutting to think that he was tied up in court for years trying to get any shred of help from the studio.

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It’s sad to see what can happen so quickly when things don’t go right on set, but it’s even more heartbreaking to know that a movie studio would not immediately do anything and everything in their power to ensure that one of the workers would be taken care of after something this tragic happening.

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