New details from the wrongful death and damages suit filed in April 2016 against the producers of the film “American Made,” have emerged. They revealed that the families of the two pilots who died following a plane crash during the shooting in September 2015, put some of the blame on its star, Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman.
According to People online, the families of Alan Purwin and Carlos Berl, who were hired for the movie, described it as “a high-risk, action-packed motion picture.” They also claimed that the “enthusiasm for multiple takes of lavish flying sequences” by Cruise and Liman was a contributory factor to the deadly on-set crash that occurred in Colombia.
The families said that one of the executive producers of the film made a complaint to the insurance company alleging that both Cruise and Liman were adding entire scenes and aerial shots on the fly. The executive producer described it as “the most insane…I’ve dealt with.”
Not defendants
The lawsuit, however, was filed against film producers Imagine Entertainment, Vendian Entertainment, and Cross Creek Pictures. Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman were not named as defendants.
The estates of Purwin and Berl alleged liability on the part of the production companies for ignoring safety procedures prior to the fatal flight, in order to save money and time.
Who was the pilot?
Central to the claim of the family are the alleged lapses on the part of the producers, which led to “an unqualified and unprepared pilot being pressed into service for a dangerous flight.”
There was one survivor of the plane crash, Jimmy Lee Garland, who was severely injured and who was alleged to be the pilot.
Garland was left without recollection of the accident but he denied he was the one piloting the plane during that time.
The family of Carlos Berl, who is also suing the survivor, claimed that Garland was the pilot. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, though, Garland said he was there as a “mechanic.”
Cruise could have piloted the plane
The plaintiffs further argued that Tom Cruise could have piloted the plane as he was “well-qualified,” familiar with the type of aircraft used and he knew the route.
Tom Cruise is, of course, widely known in the film industry as an actor who did many of the daring and dangerous scenes in several of his action movies including “Mission Impossible” and “Knight and Day.”
Film’s release date
“American Made,” which is set to open in the United States on September 29, stars Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot, who worked for the CIA as it carried out what was considered one of the biggest covert operations in Central America.
