Nicolas CageFerrari skids into onlookers on 'Sorcerer's' set ...

Movie magic gave way to movie mayhem on the New York set of Nicolas Cage's Disney adventure 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' when a car chase scene went horribly awry early Monday morning.

While weaving in and out of staged traffic in midtown Manhattan's Times Square -- the area had been closed to regular traffic for the shoot -- at a little after 1 a.m. on Monday, a Ferrari being driven by a stuntman skidded on the slick roadway, mounted the sidewalk, knocked over a lamppost and crashed into the front of a Sbarro's Italian restaurant, injuring two pedestrians.

Nicolas CageMovie magic gave way to movie mayhem on the New York set of Nicolas Cage's Disney adventure 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' when a car chase scene went horribly awry early Monday morning.

While weaving in and out of staged traffic in midtown Manhattan's Times Square -- the area had been closed to regular traffic for the shoot -- at a little after 1 a.m. on Monday, a Ferrari being driven by a stuntman skidded on the slick roadway, mounted the sidewalk, knocked over a lamppost and crashed into the front of a Sbarro's Italian restaurant, injuring two pedestrians.

Police said that one, a 23-year-old male, was struck by the falling streetlight and complained of a head injury, while a 21-year-old woman who was hit by the out-of-control car suffered a foot injury.

Summer 2009 Action Movies & Thrillers

    Summer Action Movies

    Lights, camera ... action! When most people think of summer movies, they think fight scenes, chase sequences, awesome superpowers and earsplitting explosions.

    This summer won't disappoint. Not only will we get some high-profile sequels like 'Transformers' and 'Angels & Demons,' but we'll see innovative reboots of the 'X-Men,' 'Terminator' and 'Star Trek' franchises ... plus the G.I. Joe squad, a new Tarantino movie and Johnny Depp -- NOT playing Captain Jack. Check out 11 movies that will have your pulse racing.

    Warner Bros. / Paramount / 20th Century Fox / Paramount

    'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'

    Opening: May 1

    Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds

    What It's About: After an 'X-Men' trilogy that was two-parts glorious, the Marvel series goes into rewind with a series of origin prequels, beginning with the formative days of fan favorite Logan/Wolverine (Jackman). The actioner focuses on the clawed hero's clash with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Schreiber) -- and will no doubt play out better on the big screen than some unfinished bootleg on your computer monitor (ahem).

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    Get 'X-Men: The Last Stand':

    20th Century Fox

    'Star Trek'

    Opening: May 8

    Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana

    What It's About: J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' relaunch goes where no movie has gone before: back to the origins of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew. The film follows James T. Kirk (Pine), Spock (Quinto) and co. as they rise through the Starfleet Academy, embark on the Enterprise's maiden voyage and, of course, save the world from Romulans for the very first time. Judging by positive early buzz, this franchise will most certainly live long and prosper.

    More on 'Star Trek':


    'Star Trek: The Original Series':


Victims were treated by paramedics on-site and then taken to a hospital for evaluation, where they were later released. Both injuries were said to be minor, and the stuntman behind the wheel was unhurt in the accident.



According to a rep for the film, "All safety regulations were followed and second unit filming will continue as planned." That may be, but this is the latest in a long string of stunt mishaps that have plagued action films of late.

Most recently, a stuntman stand-in for Daniel Radcliffe was paralyzed on the set of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' when he crashed to the ground after a botched explosion; a driver was left in intensive care after a wrecking his car during a chase scene for the James Bond flick 'Quantum of Solace' in Italy; numerous extras were injured when they fell out of a military vehicle whilst lensing Tom Cruise's WWII movie 'Valkyrie'; a stuntman was killed on the set of 'The Dark Knight' when the Batmobile struck a tree during rehearsals for a scene in which the vehicle is blown to bits.

So the question is: Are bigger audience expectations leading studios to undertake unsafe stunts, just to keep their heads above the ever-rising bar set by CGI-fueled spectacle? Sound off below. -- By Tom DiChiara

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