Ballerina: Ana de Armas Gets Emotional On Flamethrower Sequence For John Wick Spin Off

Ballerina fame Ana De Armas recently opened up about her first experience with an intense stunt sequence. Read more

Ana de Armas Performed Intense Fight Sequence In Ballerina By Herself

When Ana de Armas stepped into the John Wick universe to lead the spinoff Ballerina, she anticipated the intense fight choreography that would come with playing an assassin. Her character Eve—an assassin moulded by the Ruska Roma—is seen unleashing a flamethrower on a group of henchmen as part of her mission for revenge following her father’s murder.

Director Len Wiseman says that the sequence was “90 per cent” practical, and de Armas performed most of the stunts herself. This meant she had to actually operate a flamethrower on set and (safely) set a stunt performer ablaze on camera. The first time she handled the weapon during rehearsal, she was overcome with emotion and began to cry.

Ana de Armas Recalls Her First Day With Stunt Team

“I remember the first day the stunt team was practising with the fire. And they told me to go do it before the shoot. I said, ‘No, no, no, I’ll be fine,'” de Armas shares. Luckily, the stunt team insisted she test it beforehand. “They got the main fire guy that gets burned, and he’s all covered in this sticky grease or whatever they put for protection, and they’re like, ‘Okay, go ahead. Just burn him.’ And I did, and I started crying.”

Both Wiseman and de Armas described the moment as deeply intense. “It was really emotional,” she says. “I’ve never seen anyone burning, even though it’s fake.” Once she had the initial run-through behind her, de Armas was able to film the scene without tears. “Then I was fine,” she says. “Then I burned like a hundred people. I’m glad I practised the day before, and I cried the day before. But it’s amazing to see what [the stunt performers] do — I can’t believe you guys put yourself through this. It’s unbelievable.”

Director Len Wiseman Admits Being Taken Aback By Flamethrower

Wiseman also admitted he was taken aback by the flamethrower’s sheer force, even in a tightly controlled stunt environment. “I had never actually shot a flamethrower in my life before,” he says. “It was just horrifying, actually lighting somebody on fire with a flamethrower, even though they’re acting. And it was a long sequence. It was very, very brutal.”

While de Armas underwent extensive weapons training ahead of production, learning to control fire proved to be a very different challenge. In addition to the inherent risks, she found the unpredictable movement of the flames both surprising and unsettling.

With PVRINOX Pictures doubling down on its commitment to the Indian audience, Ballerina will roll out in an extensive theatrical release across multiple languages. This ensures fans across the country can experience the spectacle in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. As Ballerina gears up to bring its explosive action to Indian theatres, the excitement is just getting started. Ballerina will deliver an adrenaline-charged, big-screen experience that will leave fans on the edge of their seats.

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