Summary:
- Ana de Armas revealed exciting details about the upcoming Ballerina spinoff, teasing intense action sequences and a cameo from Keanu Reeves.
- Set in the John Wick universe, the film promises to deliver the same high-energy thrills fans love, with de Armas leading the story as a young assassin seeking revenge.
The highly-anticipated John Wick spinoff, John Wick Presents: Ballerina, was originally set for a summer release this year, but reshoots have pushed the date back to summer 2025. Fans are eagerly awaiting Ana de Armas in the lead role, and the actress recently provided some insight into the reason behind the delays, while also teasing that a trailer will be coming soon.
While promoting her new film Eden at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), de Armas spoke with Collider about Ballerina and explained the importance of the reshoots. She emphasized that these changes were necessary to ensure the film lived up to the John Wick standard, particularly when it comes to the intense action scenes.
De Armas expressed confidence in producer Chad Stahelski, known for his mastery of complex and visually stunning action sequences.
“Every time they say you have reshoots, it’s not good. You don’t feel good about it. All we did in those reshoots had to be there. We got amazing footage. It’s really spectacular. A trailer is coming out soon, I’ve been told. I saw it, and it’s beautiful.
I’m very proud of it. It’s really exciting. It’s dangerous, it’s sexy, it’s very John Wick. I think people are going to be surprised. I’m biased. Of course, I like the movie, but I think it’s really cool. It’s going to be amazing.”
Ballerina centers around Rooney, a young assassin played by de Armas, who is on a mission to avenge her family’s death. Like the John Wick films, this spinoff delves into the gritty, violent world of professional killers.
The cast includes familiar faces from the John Wick universe, such as Anjelica Huston reprising her role as The Director, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, and the late Lance Reddick as Charon. New additions include Gabriel Byrne as a mysterious antagonist and The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus.
Keanu Reeves to Make a Cameo Appearance in Ballerina
Fans will be excited to know that Keanu Reeves will also make a cameo appearance as John Wick. Ballerina is set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, meaning that Wick is still alive in this timeline, allowing for a seamless integration of the character.
Ian McShane, in a bid to clarify confusion surrounding the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the speculation about a possible fifth movie, addressed the timeline placement:
“You didn’t want to set it after John Wick 4, because then you’d have social media saying, ‘Oh, so he’s still alive! What’s he going to do next time? Is there a John Wick 5?!’ This way, you can still keep up the pretense that there might not be a John Wick 5.”
McShane also noted that the so-called “reshoots” were more like “new shoots,” aimed at improving the film: “They want to make it better. Because they have to protect it. Because Keanu’s in it as well.”
Unlike the previous films in the franchise, Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman, known for the Underworld series. Fans were initially concerned about Wiseman’s involvement, but the cast and crew seem confident the changes have elevated the film.
With Ana de Armas, who’s no stranger to action films after No Time to Die and The Gray Man, leading the charge, Ballerina is shaping up to be an exciting and intense addition to the John Wick franchise.
