Inside the Fiery Flamethrower Duel of ‘Ballerina’

Chad Stahelski, widely recognized for his work on the “John Wick” series, once volunteered at a local fire department during his high school years. Those vivid experiences stayed with him, inspiring him to envision an action scene dominated by fire.

“I thought, ‘How incredible would it be to combine fire and water in a flamethrower battle?’” Stahelski, serving as a producer on “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” explained in an interview. “Two opponents wielding flamethrowers, locked in combat.” Upon viewing an early version of “Ballerina,” he realized the film offered the perfect platform to bring his fiery vision to life, particularly showcasing the lead assassin, Eve, portrayed by Ana de Armas.

Stahelski aimed to highlight Eve’s intelligence and skill rather than simply increasing the number of adversaries. “It wasn’t about fighting more enemies,” he noted. “It was about giving her a distinctive ability that truly stands out. That’s when we turned to fire.”

The climax features a striking sequence where Eve confronts foes in an Alpine village, engaging in a flamethrower duel against a formidable antagonist, Dex (played by Robert Maaser). Rather than relying heavily on digital effects, director Len Wiseman chose to use predominantly real flames. Stahelski shared that approximately 90 to 95 percent of the fire seen on screen consisted of authentic, unenhanced burns.

To safely execute these intense scenes, Stahelski enlisted the expertise of stuntman Jayson Dumenigo, renowned for developing a durable protective burn gel for performers—a creation recently honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even Dumenigo initially doubted the feasibility of the ambitious fiery sequences envisioned.