“America’s Got Talent: Extreme,” which has been shooting the past three weeks at Atlanta Motor Speedway, has decided to postpone production for the time being after an escape artist suffered a serious injury last Thursday.
Jonathan Goodwin, a veteran British escape artist who appeared on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” last year and made it to the semifinals, was doing a Houdini-like escape Thursday during rehearsals.
He was suspended 70 feet in the air in a straitjacket and once he got himself free, he was supposed to fall onto an air mattress. The twist was two automobiles were swinging back and forth below him and he had to make sure he dropped at just the right moment so he wouldn’t get crushed. Unfortunately, according to an account on TMZ that the production company did not dispute, the vehicles hit and exploded while he was wedged between them. He fell to the ground and hit his head.
He was responsive on site, but the injuries were serious enough to land him in a hospital.
Goodwin calls himself “The Daredevil” on his website.
In a statement Sunday, the show’s producers said, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Jonathan Goodwin and his family as he continues to recover from his accident on Thursday. In order to focus on the wellbeing of our crew, we will be temporarily pausing production on ‘America’s Got Talent: Extreme’ and will resume the last few days of filming at a later date. The health and safety of our cast and crew continue to be our priority.”
The new NBC reality competition show, a spin-off of the original “America’s Got Talent,” features “extreme” acts that by their very nature are dangerous like trapeze or motorcross bike stunts. The show has been shooting since Sept. 27 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, both in the main area and the surrounding parking lots.
Simon Cowell is an executive producer and a judge. He is joined by WWE wrestler Nikki Bella and professional motorsports competitor Travis Pastrana on the judge’s panel. Terry Crews is host.
The show is scheduled to debut on NBC in early 2022.
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