When it comes to action filmmaking, there’s pretending and imagination, and then there’s actually setting people on fire.
For Ana de Armas, the line between the two blurred in a very real way during the filming of Ballerina, the upcoming John Wick spin-off. As director Len Wiseman revealed, the moment de Armas first lit up a stunt performer with a flamethrower, she burst into tears.
Wiseman recently spoke with a small group of journalists during a long-lead press event this spring and shared the wild behind-the-scenes story. While most movie weapons are all smoke and no sting, flamethrowers are in a league of their own. There’s simply no faking real fire, and Ballerina didn’t. Wiseman said:
“They’re scary in such a fun way. I tested it out and the amount of power that it feels behind it. And I remember, I tested it out before so I could tell Ana that it’s safe and I’ve done it.
“And I got a report and the guys were testing with her when she actually had to actually test flaming somebody. And first attempt, she cried because it’s horrifying, you know?”
And who could blame her? Even though the person being set ablaze was a highly trained stunt performer, it’s not exactly a normal day at work to intentionally engulf someone in flames, especially when they’re screaming in front of you.
Wiseman recalled that once de Armas got over the initial shock, her nerves gave way to confidence. She leaned into the chaos like a pro.
“And then after that, she was really down with it, really cool,” he said. “She flamed, like, I don’t even remember how many people. But imagine you’re testing it out and flaming somebody and they’re screaming in front of you and you’re lighting them on fire. It’s a rush. It’s traumatic.”
The flamethrower rampage, featured in Ballerina’s trailer, is just one of the many brutal, balletic set pieces that’s expected to define this John Wick offshoot.
De Armas plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin out for revenge, and from all accounts, she’s going full-throttle.
Ballerina opens in theaters June 6 and features a stacked cast including Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, the late Lance Reddick, and of course, Keanu Reeves.
So, I hope you’re excited to see Ana de Armas wield a flamethrower and torch bad guys with balletic precision!
Source: CinemaBlend
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