A crew member working on Netflix’s Dept. Q died after suffering a serious injury at FirstStage Studios in Edinburgh on Thursday, November 12. Police Scotland said the man was pronounced dead shortly after emergency services arrived.
Left Bank Pictures, which produces the crime drama and The Crown, confirmed the death in a statement reported November 13. The company said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the loss, according to TheWrap.
Authorities have not publicly identified the man or described how he was injured. The Scotsman reported that workers were believed to be dismantling and removing sets at the facility.
The series, created by Scott Frank from novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, stars Matthew Goode as Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck. His Edinburgh unit reopens cold cases from the basement of a police station.
An October Post Marked Season 2’s Wrap
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Andy Waddington announced the end of Dept. Q’s second season in an October 24 Instagram post, writing that production had completed 100 days of shooting. The update included photographs and the phrases “lights off” and “boards packed up.”
Netflix announced on June 25 that filming was underway, following a first season that spent six weeks in its Global Top 10. Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne and Jamie Sives return alongside Goode.
The new cast includes Aisling Franciosi, Greg Wise, Tony Curran and Amy Brenneman. Executive producer Rob Bullock said the next investigation would concern a crime concealed among rich and powerful figures in Scottish society.
Police Inquiries and the Production Company’s Response
Officers were alerted at about 3 p.m. to an industrial premises in the Bath Road area of Leith, according to STV News. Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and that inquiries were continuing.
The Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was liaising with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Netflix referred a request for comment to Left Bank Pictures, Deadline reported. The production company said its thoughts were with the worker’s family, friends and colleagues and that it was offering support to those affected.
A Separate Inquiry Concerns the 2022 Death
Contractor Philip Ross, 30, died at the same facility on June 30, 2022, while The Outrun was filming there. An Edinburgh Evening News report about that case said a hydraulic lift was believed to have been involved.
Following Ross’s death, FirstStage Studios said he had been working for one of its production customers. The studio described itself as devastated and expressed condolences to his family and colleagues.
The Scotsman reported that Ross’s death remained the subject of a Fatal Accident Inquiry. A sheriff hears evidence at these public hearings and publishes a determination setting out the findings, according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Those findings can address precautions that might have prevented the death and problems in working practices that contributed to it.
FirstStage’s Work Across Film and Television
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A Screen Scotland archive feature, published January 6, 2023, shows cast and production personnel discussing the making of Prime Video’s The Rig at FirstStage. The accompanying post highlighted opportunities for Scottish crews and a trainee program run through Screen NETs.
The permanent studio project was announced in 2020, with producer Bob Last and actor and director Jason Connery appointed as operators. Film Edinburgh said Screen Scotland committed £1 million toward initial setup, refurbishment and running costs.
The site had previously accommodated Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. The announcement described an 8.6-acre property leased from Forth Ports, with plans allowing for five soundstages and additional outdoor production space.
