'Indiana Jones 5' Crew Member Found Dead on Location Amid Shooting Setbacks

The Indiana Jones 5 production is in mourning after a crew member tragically died during a shoot in Morocco. Nic Cupac, a 54-year-old veteran of several major Hollywood blockbusters, discovered dead in his hotel room in Fes, Morrocco. This is the latest setback for the film after facing several coronavirus delays and Harrison Ford's shoulder injury over the summer.

Cupac is believed to have died from natural causes, The Sun reported. Walt Disney Studios made clear that his death was not related to the production. "Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Nic Cupac, an incredibly talented colleague and member of the film community who will be greatly missed," a representative for the production told the New York Post on Thursday. "His sudden passing was not production-related. Nic was a grip on 2nd unit."

Cupac was a Hollywood veteran, working in the camera and electric departments on over 50 productions, according to his IMDb profile. His credits include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Cruella, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Guardians of the Galaxy. "One of the very best - taught me so much when I was starting out," one of his colleagues told The Sun. "I'm heartbroken. Nic was such a lovely man," another said.

Last week, The Sun reported that over 100 Indiana Jones 5 crew members arrived in Fes to film a rickshaw chase stunt just before the Morrocan government banned all flights to and from the U.K. because of rising coronavirus cases. Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge were set to join the production there, after filming wrapped in Italy, but it's not clear if they will be allowed to. "The flight ban left everything totally up in the air," a source told The Sun. "It's not clear what will happen once the scene is completed, but they could be granted a special exemption to fly home."

Indiana Jones 5 hit several snags during production over the summer. The biggest came when Ford, 79, suffered a shoulder injury. The injury reportedly delayed the production longer than Disney expected. He only got back to work in Italy two weeks ago, notes the New York Post. Indiana Jones 5 was first announced for release in 2019, but it has been delayed several times since then. It is now scheduled to open on June 30, 2023.

The still-untitled movie will be the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg, as James Mangold (Walk the Line, Ford v. Ferrari) was hired to replace him. The script was written by Molgold with brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. It is the first non-Star Wars production from Lucasfilm since the studio was bought by Disney in 2012. Aside from Ford and Waller-Bridge, the cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas.