Should you choose to book a date with death and see “Final Destination Bloodlines” when it arrives in theaters, be sure to take a moment to appreciate Yvette Ferguson, who quite literally lights up the screen in one of the most significant and dangerous sequences ever included in the “Final Destination” franchise. Sure, the iconic log truck pile-up might still stick with fans after all these years, and “Final Destination 5” might have one of the most compelling death sequences, but Ferguson’s time to shine should stand out more than most, given that her contribution may have earned her a world record for being the oldest person ever to be fully set on fire for a film.
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Zach Lipovsky revealed that during one scene involving multiple people being lit up, among them was 71-year-old Ferguson, a former stunt person who came out of retirement for the film. “We lit so many different people on fire, including breaking the world record for oldest person on fire with Yvette Ferguson, who did that full-body burn in the silver dress,” explained Lipovsky. “That was the oldest person ever on fire, on camera.” Following the successful sequence completion, the stunt team has tried contacting Guinness World Records to ensure Ferguson’s work is acknowledged, but they’ve still not received confirmation. At least the crew involved have praised their potentially singled stunt performer for her achievement, as well as some of the cast from the new film that witnessed her go up in flames for the film’s essential opening scene.
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The 71-year-old stunt person was pumped to be set on fire
As the old saying goes, love your job and you’ll never work a day in your life. And according to witnesses of Ferguson at work, she was in her element for “Final Destination Bloodlines,” and that element happened to be fire. Brec Bassinger, who plays one of the cast members who was present for the huge sequence that sees a 400-foot-tall tower collapse in fire, rubble, and horrific cinematic spectacle, witnessed Ferguson getting torched. “Oh, I was on set when they lit her on fire! I was within her vicinity. God, it was beautiful. Everyone started clapping. She was so pumped.”
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Ferguson’s involvement made her a crucial piece to a catastrophic puzzle being orchestrated by Lipovsky, who is continuing the franchise trend of making the major accident that sets the wheels of death in motion for “Final Destination Bloodlines.” When discussing the scale, the director explained, “You get that disaster movie Hollywood feeling, but at an extremely R-rated tone, which is very rare. You get that Roland Emmerich spectacle, but you see the people explode and light on fire and falter in their deaths, and you don’t cut away. It was really cool to play with achieving both of those things at the same time.”
You can see how that all goes and who will be lucky enough to join the select group that have survived the “Final Destination” franchise when “Final Destination Bloodlines” hits theaters on May 16, 2025.
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