UK-based production outfit Anton has described a lawsuit filed against it by actor Kate Beckinsale as “meritless” in a new statement.
First sent to trade publication Screen, Anton’s full statement reads: “We follow strict safety standards on all our productions. We are reviewing these allegations, which we believe are meritless.”
The Guardian newspaper first reported that Beckinsale – best known for her role in the 2001 epic Pearl Harbor – filed the suit, claiming she was made to work 15-hour days without support, and suffered a bad knee injury as a result of being thrown into a wall during the filming of a scene.
The suit – originally filed anonymously in June 2024 but now refiled under her name – claims Beckinsale suffered “severe and debilitating injuries” as a result of “unsafe conditions.”
The document filed on behalf of the actress also claims:
- She suffered a meniscus tear in her left knee after being thrown into a wall
- She was “coerced” into performing “unsafe action sequences” after returning to work
- Beckinsale’s stunt performer broke her ankle, and “rather than replace her with a qualified stunt [performer]”, the producers “hired an unqualified stunt woman who was simply the girlfriend of the stunt coordinator.”
- Workout equipment requested by Beckinsale was not provided for her to stay in adequate physical shape for the role.
Canary Black, which starred Beckinsale as a CIA agent blackmailed into undertaking missions in exchange for her kidnapped husband’s life, was released in October 2024. It also starred Rupert Friend, Saffron Burrows, and Ray Stevenson.
We have reached out to Anton.
