Halle Berry injured during fight scene on MMA movie ‘Bruised’

Halle Berry’s Bruised is expected to resume production shortly. | Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Production has been rescheduled to work around her recovery.

Halle Berry was injured on the set of Bruised, the MMA movie in which she plays Jackie “Justice”, a disgraced MMA fighter looking for redemption. Bruised is also the Academy Award winner’s directorial debut. Berry joins a small and elite group of actors who have gone behind the camera even as they continue to perform in front of it.

Berry’s involvement with Bruised really began with her role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, where she performed many of her own stunts. Bruised is produced by Thunder Road Films, the company that created John Wick, allowing Berry to continue on with the same team of stunt coordinators. In addition, she spent eight months training with MMA fighters. On November 9th, she proudly posted a picture of her six pack on Instagram, writing, “One of my goals for #BruisedTheMovie? Ripped Abs – and today? I finally got them and it feels unbelievable!”

Shooting was delayed to accommodate Berry’s injury. Filming is currently in Newark, at Mack’s Elite Heat Boxing Gym. NJ.com broke the story, interviewing executive producer Brian Pitt. Pitt said, “Halle got slightly injured in the fight. She’s tired. She needed a break.”

Berry responded on Instagram with a clarification. “It’s par for the course when you do your own stunts, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just know I’m far from tired. I’m wide awake…and just getting started!”

Originally, screenwriter Michelle Rosenfarb wrote the protagonist as a 21-year-old, but upon meeting Berry, the character of Jackie evolved dramatically. Rosenfarb and Berry have done a great deal of character research to make Bruised as realistic as possible, interviewing female MMA fighters and spending time at UFC headquarters in Las Vegas. Clearly, Berry is dedicated to giving the role her all.