When Harrison Ford survived a general aviation crash on a Santa Monica golf course, it was good news. And as he wasn't in production on a major motion picture, the news was particularly well-received by film financiers and insurance companies.
But as the "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" superstar recuperates in a Los Angeles hospital, insurance underwriters may take a new look at the rules on how they protect their motion picture investments, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Risk management is a big business in Hollywood, a town that spends billions of dollars on content that contains popular people and personalities, and that's the true meaning of "Risky Business," according to Videomaker Magazine.
In Hollywood and elsewhere, it is standard practice to take out insurance on commercials, TV shows and feature film productions to guarantee completion. Insurance can be purchased in packages that cover combinations of various aspects needed to complete a production, or by individual production needs. For instance, a producer can buy insurance to cover theft, equipment damage, video and film negative damage, faulty stock and processing problems. And there is insurance that covers the key personnel and cast.
It is a reality that death occurs, but when it happens to a lead actor in the middle of a film production, in addition to the grieving of family and friends, there is the business of project completion at hand. Crew and other cast members still have to be paid, and a host of other production and post-production services are under contract. That's where the insurance companies come in.
When Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, died on the set of "The Crow" in 1993, it was not only shocking news, but it left an entire production scrambling and desperate to finish the picture. As he was the lead actor, there were many incomplete scenes and story adjustments to be made to finish the project. Lee was killed in an accidental shooting during filming of "The Crow."
In general, when an actor signs on to a project, the production's insurer issues a contract that constricts the actor's activities it deems a risk to its investment. So it is likely that Ford, an avid aviator, will not be able to do any personal flying while he is actively working on a film or other project, the Los Angeles Times indicated. Ford flies a fleet of small private planes out of Santa Monica Municipal Airport.
Restricting Ford's flying is not much different than getting stars and personalities to lay off more common recreational habits like drinking - and even oversleeping - that endanger film and projection completion, according to NPR.
And if Ford's wife, Calista Flockhart, hasn't already issued him a warning to make flying less of a passion and more of an infrequent hobby, the insurance companies could.
If Ford or any other actor signs a contract stating he will not pilot a private plane during film production, and then he actually goes ahead and does it anyway, insurance companies do have the right to sue.
As for Ford's condition, most current reports indicate he is recouperating with his wife by his side at a Los Angeles hospital.
