‘Titans’ Crewmember Killed in Special Effects Accident

A crewmember for the DC Universe series Titans has died following an accident during the rehearsal of a car stunt on Thursday. The crewmember, special effects coordinator Warren Appleby, was killed after a piece of the car broke off.

Production on Titans has been shut down for two days following the tragedy.

“We are heartbroken and devastated by the passing of our treasured colleague, special effects coordinator Warren Appleby, after an accident which occurred at a special effects facility during the preparation and testing for an upcoming shoot,” the show’s producers, Warner Bros. TV and DC Universe, said Thursday in a statement. “Warren is beloved by all who worked with him during an impressive 25-year career in television and motion pictures. The executive producers, along with everyone in the Titans family, Warner Bros. Television Group and DC Universe, wish to express our deepest condolences, and heartfelt love and support, to Warren’s family and friends at this most difficult time.”

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The incident took place at a special effects shop in Toronto during testing for the stunt.

Acme FX, a Toronto-based company in which Appleby was a partner, said in a statement, “We are devastated by the tragic loss of Acme FX partner Warren Appleby. Warren was a beloved business partner, leader, mentor, friend and brother to many in our community, and a loving husband and father to his wife and children. He will be remembered for his quick humor, strong leadership, care and compassion for his crew and — above all else — his devotion to his family. Words cannot express how dearly he will be missed.

Appleby’s credits as a special effects supervisor or coordinator include feature films It and The Shape of Water and TV series including The Strain, 11.22.63 and Killjoys. A memorial fund for his family is currently raising money on GoFundMe.

Titans, a darker version of the Teen Titans cartoon, was originally developed for TNT but, after the cable channel scrapped the project in 2016, DC Universe announced one year later that it was reviving the title. It was the first scripted series to debut on DC Universe and is in production on its second season.