Firefighter Dies While Fighting Blaze On Set Of Bruce Willis' New Movie

Bruce Willis

Accidents on film sets are tragic, even more so when they result in loss of life. Last night a fire broke out in a building being used to film the upcoming Edward Norton/Bruce Willis movie, Motherless Brooklyn. The five-alarm fire drew a massive firefighter response, which, unfortunately, seriously injured two firefighters, and killed a third, Michael Davidson, age 37.

The fire broke out in the basement of a building in upper Manhatten that was being used to shoot the upcoming film. The location had previously housed St. Nick's Jazz Pub until it closed in 2011. According to Fox News, the film production had hung a sign outside the location labeling it the King Rooster Jazz Club for the movie which is set in the 1950s.

While the fire reportedly started in the basement, flames were later visible on the roof, showing just how large the fire became. The film crew alerted the fire department when they saw the smoke.

At this point, it's not entirely clear what happened to firefighter Michael Davidson. Reportedly, the firefighters inside the building were forced to retreat out the door due to the advancing fire, and Davidson was separated from the rest of his unit as they fell back. A search then began for Davidson, but when he was found, he was unconscious.

Motherless Brooklyn has been a long desired project for Edward Norton who is directing the picture as well as starring as the lead character, a private detective who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome. The film, based on the book of the same name, follows the detective as he searches for the killer of his best friend, a role that will be played by Bruce Willis.

It's unclear at this time what caused the fire to start, though there will certainly be an investigation. It's too early to know for sure if the film production itself was directly or indirectly responsible, though you can expect it will be under a microscope. The firefighter's death follows the recent deaths of stuntpeople who have died on the set. One passed away when a motorcycle stunt on Deadpool 2 went wrong. Another died on the set of TV series The Walking Dead. While Michael Davidson may not have been part of the film crew, his death still occurred on the set and should be considered in the greater conversation of safety precautions that may need to change on film productions.

It's an absolute tragedy when something like this happens. Firefighters are amazing people who risk their lives daily, but that makes it no less shocking when one of them losses the fight.

Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.