Veteran Hollywood director Michael Mann, the filmmaker behind crime classics such as Heat and Collateral, was taken to hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a gun range in Los Angeles, police and his representative have said.
The incident happened at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, at an indoor, members-only shooting range on the 11100 block of Missouri Avenue in West Los Angeles. TMZ named the venue as The Range LA.
What happened
According to law enforcement sources cited by ABC News, a .45-calibre handgun went off while Mann was putting it into its holster, and the bullet struck his left thigh.
Staff at the range gave him first aid before paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived. He was taken to a local hospital by ambulance in stable condition.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that officers responded, that the shooting was accidental and that an injury report was filed. No one else was hurt, and there is no suggestion of any crime.
Publicist: wound was superficial
Mann’s publicist later said the gun had discharged accidentally during holstering, that the injury was superficial, and that the director had been treated and was being released.
Firearms instructors often describe holstering as one of the riskiest moments in handling a pistol, because a finger, a piece of clothing or a strap can catch the trigger as the gun is pushed into the holster. Many ranges teach shooters to holster slowly and keep their fingers well away from the trigger for that reason.
A director known for realistic gunfights
Mann, who is 83, has long been known for his attention to detail with weapons on screen. The street shootout in Heat (1995), starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, is still widely regarded as one of the most realistic gunfights in film history, and actors in his films have often trained with live ammunition to prepare for their roles.
His other films include Thief (1981), Manhunter (1986), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Insider (1999), Ali (2001), Collateral (2004), Public Enemies (2009) and Ferrari (2023). He also produced the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. The Insider earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Heat 2 on the horizon
The accident comes as Mann prepares his long-awaited follow-up to Heat. He has been developing a film version of Heat 2, based on the 2022 novel he wrote with Meg Gardiner, with Amazon MGM Studios. Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale have been reported as the leads, and production has been expected to start around this time.
There has been no word on whether the injury will affect the film’s schedule. With his representative describing the wound as minor, it is not expected to cause a lengthy delay.
Sources: ABC News, TMZ, LAPD.
