In an unfortunate example of life imitating art, Argentine moviegoers were treated to an unwitting immersive experience as they screened Final Destination Bloodlines, with their theater’s ceiling collapsing mid-movie.
The incident took place last week at Cinema Ocho in La Plata, the capital city of Argentina’s Buenos Aires, according to Argentine digital publication Infobae. During a May 19 9 p.m. showing of the sixth and latest installment in the horror franchise — which sees its protagonists stalked and eventually captured by death via bizarre accidents — around 40 attendees had their viewing experience cut short as the roof of theater No. 4 let down debris.
“A really loud noise was heard,” 29-year-old Fiamma Villaverde, who went to the screening on a whim with her 11-year-old daughter and a friend, told the outlet in Spanish. “At first, we thought it was a part of the movie because we were so engrossed; but immediately after a piece of rubble fell on me.”
She said the pieces struck her shoulder, back, knee and ankle, adding, “It didn’t hit my head because I was slightly leaning over the armrests.”
Video captured at the scene depicts a significant hole in the ceiling and debris on the floor in between the aisles. Commotion can be heard as attendees chattered amongst themselves in audible shock. Per local reports, the theater did not provide a statement regarding the incident and moviegoers theorized the city’s heavy rainfall could have contributed to the damage. For her part, Villaverde said she is planning to file a complaint and has contacted her lawyer, after missing days off of work due to her severe bruises and an X-ray that diagnosed her with “trauma from the blow.”
Released May 16 to positive reviews, the Zach Lipovsky- and Adam B. Stein-directed entry is already the best debut in the long-running franchise, which first began spooking viewers 25 years ago. The New Line/Warner Bros. feature accomplished a rare feat at the box office, heading into a $102 million global start with an even split from domestic and international revenue.
