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A New Zealand-born special effects technician involved in the filming of the new Batman movie has died in an accident in Britain.
Comway Wickliffe, 41, previously worked on many films including Bond movies, Casino Royale, Die Another Day, and V for Vendetta.
An investigation was launched after Mr Wickliffe was killed when his 4WD vehicle crashed into a tree during a dummy film run for the Batman sequel, Batman: The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers said in a statement from London.
The studio said that none of the cast, which includes several Hollywood stars, was involved in the accident that occurred at a special effects facility.
TV One reported today that Mr Wickliffe's partner Derynn Chase was unhappy she had not been allowed to see his body.
That was because there was an investigation into the accident and UK coroners were to perform a post-mortem, it said.
Warner Brothers said the fatal crash did not happen on the set or during filming for the Batman sequel.
Media reports said the vehicle was following a stunt car, believed to be the Batmobile, at a property near Chertsey, Surrey.
"There was a fatal accident ... at a special effects facility for The Dark Knight, the studio said in a statement.
"A special effects technician on the film was in a truck that struck a tree at the end of a test run-through."
A British Health and Safety spokesman said: "There was filming of some sort involving a vehicle stunt and there was an accident.
"It appears one vehicle was undertaking some stunt driving and another 4x4 provided the camera platform. The second vehicle and a camera operator were involved in a collision with a tree."
Batman: The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine as his butler, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, is due for release in the United Kingdom next year.
Most of the film, British director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to Batman Begins, has been shot in Chicago, with other scenes from London and Hong Kong.
- NZPA
