Kate Beckinsale is suing the production company and key personnel behind the 2024 film Canary Black, claiming they repeatedly ignored medical advice and placed her in unsafe working conditions that led to a worsening of a prior injury. The lawsuit, filed against Anton Entertainment Media Services, Inc. and producer John Zois, accuses the parties of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery.
According to legal documents, Beckinsale originally filed her case in December 2024 under a pseudonym, but she amended the complaint in May 2025 to include her name and further details. The actress, 51, alleges she initially sustained a complex meniscus tear in her left knee while filming in December 2022. The injury required surgery and caused a significant pause in production.
Before resuming work, Beckinsale's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jason Snibbe, reportedly instructed the production not to involve her in stunts requiring running, jumping, squatting, kicking, or the use of harnesses. The lawsuit claims these restrictions were disregarded and that Beckinsale was compelled to perform stunts without sufficient preparation or notice, leading to additional trauma.
The complaint outlines several concerns raised by Beckinsale and her representatives about unsafe conditions on set. These include excessively long shoot days—sometimes exceeding 15 hours—inadequate medical support, and a lack of proper equipment for physically demanding scenes. The suit claims she was often informed of stunt requirements only moments before filming them, leaving no time for safety checks or training.
Beckinsale's agent, Shani Rosenzweig, also reportedly contacted producer John Zois with urgent concerns about the actress's working conditions. In one message, she questioned whether any real action was being taken to ensure Beckinsale's safety, citing extended work hours and a lack of transparency about daily expectations. In an especially pointed comment, Rosenzweig remarked, "If you're trying to kill a person, you're doing a great job," underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
Although Zois allegedly responded to the agent's message by acknowledging the issues and promising to address the demanding schedule, the complaint states that conditions remained unchanged. Beckinsale continued to work long days and perform stunts that were neither medically approved nor properly rehearsed. As a result, her injury was reportedly aggravated further, prolonging her recovery and causing additional physical and emotional harm.
The lawsuit asserts that the production team's actions were not only negligent but deliberate in ignoring professional medical advice for the sake of staying on schedule and controlling costs. Beckinsale claims that despite repeated warnings, her safety was repeatedly compromised in pursuit of completing the film.
The legal case seeks to hold the producers accountable for what Beckinsale's legal team calls a pattern of conscious disregard for health and safety standards. The incident raises broader concerns about working conditions in physically demanding film roles and the responsibility of producers to protect the well-being of their talent.