Eric Saindon, part of the Oscar-winning “Avatar: The Way of Water” visual effects team, was hospitalized shortly after winning his award Sunday night in Hollywood, The Times confirmed.
Saindon then underwent surgery for a ruptured small intestine, according to indiewire. Now he is recovering.
A representative for Weta FX, the New Zealand visual effects company founded by filmmaker Peter Jackson, did not make an official statement on Tuesday.
The VFX supervisor went to a Beverly Hills hospital around noon on Sunday after experiencing severe pain throughout the day. Free of appendicitis and kidney stones and given painkillers by doctors, Saindon decided to attend the Oscars but returned to hospital in pain after his press room interview.
On the second hospital visit, doctors found the ruptured small intestine and operated on it to repair it, IndieWire said.
Sunday’s trophy was the first Oscar for Saindon, an American visual effects supervisor living in New Zealand. He and his colleagues were also honored this year with a BAFTA for their work “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Saindon was nominated for Oscars for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in 2013 and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” in 2014.
Saindon’s resume includes performances as a VFX supervisor on “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Night at the Museum,” the early “Avatar” films, and “The Hobbit,” and was a senior VFX supervisor on “Avatar : The Way”. of water.” He has worked at Weta since 1999.
