Katie Holmes was left shaken after a car she had been sat in on a film set caught fire seconds after she got out of it.
The 30-year-old actress narrowly escaped disaster over the weekend while filming in Australia for her new horror flick Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark.
She has been left ‘shaken’ after the car battery began erupting sparks and fumes and then burst into fire moments after she vacated the vehicle.
“Katie was very shaken by the ordeal,” a source revealed. “She took the rest of the day off while special effects staff looked over the faults.”
“Katie has filmed scenes since but it has made her think about her safety on set. She will be shooting the same scene at a later date.”
“She’s obviously very nervous about it.”
Katie, daughter Suri and husband Tom Cruise arrived in Melbourne earlier this month, where they are living in billionaire friend James Packer’s private suite on the 39th floor of the Crown Towers Complex on the south bank of the city’s Yarra River.
While the rest of her family have been sightseeing during the day, Katie has been hard at work with co-stars Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison on the Docklands set of the movie.
Written by Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo Del Toro, it stars nine-year-old Bailee as young Sally, who is sent to live with her father (Guy) and his new girlfriend (Katie).
Sally finds strange creatures in her new home who are hoping to claim the youngster as ‘one of their own’.
She enthused: “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s really (my character’s) journey becoming a mother (to her boyfriend’s daughter). In the midst of that, there’s unexpected scares.”
Katie has been struggling with her career since she first started dating Tom in April 2005.
Her only film since their marriage – comedy caper Mad Money – failed to set the box office alight when it was released in January 2008.
In January she completed her Broadway run in All My Sons, which also seemed to put her under incredible strain, before filming a supporting role alongside Kevin Kline in comedy The Extra Man in New York in the spring.
She has also appeared in one episode of US TV detective show Eli Stone and is set to star in an upcoming episode of talent show So You Think You Can Dance? on July 23.
Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark is scheduled for release in 2011.