On Friday night, three crew members involved with French sequel Serial (Bad) Weddings 3 died in a car crash near Châtellerault.
A fourth crew member, who was also in the car, was taken to the Poitiers University Hospital in critical condition. News of the collision was first reported by French publication, La Nouvelle Republique.
While none of the crew members have been named yet, those who died were aged 19, 47 and 49. The head-on crash happened around 9 p.m., after the group had wrapped up filming for the day. In the other car caught up in the crash, there was only one person, who left the scene slightly injured, according to firefighters.
The French law enforcement branch known as the gendarmerie is now undertaking an investigation into the accident, to confirm the cause. As is typical in the case of fatal accidents, blood alcohol and narcotics tests were conducted, though the results have not yet been released.
Production on Serial (Bad) Weddings 3 had just kicked off on the day of the accident, and while a four-day shoot in Châtellerault was planned, it has now been brought to a halt.
Premiering in 2014, Serial (Bad Weddings) centered on a Catholic French couple whose lives were turned upside down, as their four daughters married men of different religions and origins. Directed by Philippe de Chauveron, the comedy was a smash internationally, grossing a total (in U.S. dollars) of 174.1 million. Starring Chantal Lauby, Christian Clavier and Ary Abittan, the film’s sequel, Serial (Bad) Weddings 2, was released in 2019.