Martin Scorsese 'Silence' Movie: Rep Releases Statement After Construction Worker Killed On Set

Tragedy has struck the set of Martin Scorsese’s latest film. It has been reported that a construction accident at the film’s Taiwan studio has resulted in the death of one man and has left two others injured.

The acclaimed director was gearing up to begin principal photography on his upcoming movie “Silence,” an adaptation of a Shusaku Endo novel starring Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver. Under the advice of fellow director Ang Lee, Scorsese had contractors getting things ready to film at the CMPC Studios in Taiwan. The men were there to fix up the studio and build sets. According to Deadline, on Wednesday the construction led to a ceiling collapse that killed one of the workers. The BBC reports that Chen Yu-lung was pronounced dead at a Taiwanese hospital after being rescued from the scene of the accident.

“The director is shocked and saddened that one worker was fatally wounded, he regrets that this incident happened,” a Taiwanese spokesman, David Lee, told the outlet. He later added that the tragedy would not hold back production on the film, which focuses on Portuguese Jesuits in the 17th century as they suffer hardships and persecution working in Japan.

The Hollywood Reporter contacted CMPC Studios to ask about the incident. A spokesperson for the studio released the following statement:

“Our studio was rented for the use of a production team. The production team has hired contractors to build sets, and the construction has led to an accident, injuring the contractors. The production team immediately reported the accident to the emergency services, while our company also gave assistance. Our company and the production team had reached an agreement for the production team to be held responsible for the health and safety of the personnel of the studio and the set."

“Silence” is currently scheduled for theatrical release in 2016. The accident has not affected the shooting schedule as of now. It’s unclear how the loss of life will be addressed when principal shooting begins Friday.