Two actors on the Netflix series "The Chosen One" were killed and six others who were part of the cast and crew were injured after the van they were in crashed near Mulegé on the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico.
The accident was not on the set of the show, but happened in transit from Santa Rosalía to the local airport on June 16, Netflix said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Local media reported the crash happened Thursday and said the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area. The crew had apparently been working in the nearby Santa Rosalía area at the time.
The two actors who died in the crash were identified Friday as Raymundo Garduño Cruz and Juan Francisco González Aguilar, according to the Baja California Department of Culture.
Netflix describes the plot of "The Chosen One" as a series about a 12-year-old boy who learns he's the return of Jesus Christ and "destined to save humankind." It's based on a comic-book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross.
Millar, who previously worked at Marvel Comics, created properties such as Kingsman and Kick-Ass – as well as the "American Jesus" comics that "The Chosen One" is based on – and founded Millarworld. Netflix acquired the company, run by Millar and his wife, Lucy, in 2017. The following year, the streaming company announced plans to produce a TV series based on "American Jesus," along with other projects.
The production of the show has been temporarily paused by Redrum, the production company. An investigation into the accident is ongoing, the streaming company said.
Friends of the victims voiced concerns to the Daily Beast about "The Chosen One" actors' complaints regarding poor transportation and logistics.
“It fills me with rage that there are reports of abuse and exploitation being shared by people involved with the production,” Liliana Conlisk Gallegos, who said she was a friend of González Aguilar, known professionally as “Paco Mufote," said to the Daily Beast. “I would like to demand that this is further investigated. If nothing wrong was going on, then there shouldn’t be an issue with providing the information.”
Netflix didn't immediately comment on the allegations.
On Twitter, actor and director Fernando Bonilla, said that Garduño Cruz was "a festive and generous friend."
"It is imperative that the production report how many hours of rest the driver who lost control of the truck had," he wrote about the accident.
Contributing: The Associated Press.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
