A controlled explosion for the action film "Tokarev" lit up downtown Mobile, Ala. with a fireball and lots of smoke on Sunday, July 14, 2013. (Fara Illich/fillich@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama –A controlled explosion for the movie "Tokarev," which is being filmed in Mobile, rocked the corner of Dauphin and Royal streets at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

A crowd of about 75 spectators jumped, gasped and applauded as a huge fireball engulfed an old Mobile Police Department patrol car, which was purchased for the film, followed by a plume of thick black smoke.

The explosion will be the finale of an elaborate car chase scene involving Nicolas Cage, the film’s principal actor, according to David McGill, second unit director of photography.

David McGill, second unit director of photography, rides his bike around the set of "Tokarev," which is being filmed in Mobile, Ala., on Sunday, July 14, 2013. (Fara Illich/fillich@al.com)

“This is the climax,” McGill said. “There’s the chase, a truck T-bones a cop car, it flips over then explodes.”

The chase scene was shot three weeks ago, according to McGill, so Nicolas Cage and the other actors were absent.

Sunday's film shoot was primarily a series of stunts for special effects, which is what McGill specializes in. He said he's worked in the film industry 30 years and loves what he does.

"Making things explode is always fun," he said. "But I think the best part of this would have to be the commradery we have as a film crew."



There's a lot of time, preparation and people that go into making a scene like this possible. McGill said action sequences require extreme organization, teamwork and attention to detail.

Using a formula of black powder and gasoline, the crew was able to create a loud bang, fire and lots of smoke.

In the scene, Nicolas Cage’s character is being pursued when he runs through an intersection causing a three-car collision and violent explosion. The whole thing takes place in his rear view mirror, according to McGill.

The flipping of the police patrol car took place around 1:00 p.m., according to Scott Patterson, a bystander watching the filming.

“It’s amazing how much time it takes to create this one particular effect,” Patterson said. “There was a lot of waiting around until it finally happened.”

Patterson works in the downtown area and said he tries to watch “Tokarev” filming whenever possible. He said it’s exciting to follow the film’s progress and see how different scenes unfold.

Dauphin Street was blocked in downtown Mobile from Joachim Street to Water Street and in a two-block radius around the intersection on Sunday from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mobile police officers assisted in securing the area and Mobile firefighters extinguished the fire. Spectators were invited to watch from a safe distance.