After years of being in the works and a significant release date delay into the summer of 2025, we finally have our first look at the John Wick spinoff film Ballerina. The first trailer for the Ana de Armas-led project was unveiled earlier this fall, previewing a bit of what to expect from the action-packed new film. In recent months, reports had indicated that Ballerina was getting some extra help on action sequences from John Wick director Chad Stahelski — and now, we know exactly how extensive that might have been. According to a new report from The Wrap, Stahelski was involved with reshooting “most of the movie,” after director Len Wiseman’s initial cut did not meet expectations. This reportedly involved a two-to-three-month overseas shoot, which subsequently pushed back Stahelski’s work on the forthcoming Henry Cavill-led reboot of Highlander.
“Of course Chad had to clean up someone else’s mess. Remember, this film is basically John Wick 3.5,” an insider says in the report. “This story happens before John Wick 4 and after that film, they can’t have a failure in anything Wick related.”
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What Is Ballerina About?
In Ballerina, set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and Chapter 4, ballerina-assassin Eve Macarro begins to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father’s death.
The cast of Ballerina also includes Gabriel Byrne as The Chancellor, Norman Reedus as Pine, and Catalina Sandino Moreno in a currently-unknown role. Returning cast members from the John Wick franchise include Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Anjelica Huston as The Director, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, and Lance Reddick as Charon, in his final onscreen appearance filmed prior to his death in 2023.
The screenplay for Ballerina is written by Shay Hatten, and the film is produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski. Brady Fujikawa and Chelsea Kujawa are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.
“Having [Ballerina director Len Wiseman] on board and approaching some of the action design from a slightly different perspective, meaning the set pieces, the character involvement, how and what he wants to do during the action sequences, makes it kind of fresh,” Stahelski told THR in a previous interview. “So, we’re not just copying ourselves over and over again with gun-fu or something like that. And because the character is different, we’re going to get a different take on things. But as far as the level, the competence or the style of action? Yes. I plan to be there to assist whenever I can. And our 87eleven stunt team will be very actively involved in helping Len in all his action needs.”
Is John Wick in Ballerina?
It has been confirmed that confirmed that Reeves would be reprising his role as John Wick in the Ballerina spinoff — something that has since surprised fans, especially after his character’s fate in John Wick: Chapter 4.
“As far as the John Wick conundrum, we’ve always looked at it as duality,” Stahelski previously told ComicBook. “There’s John, there’s John Wick, so you tell me who lives, who dies?”
Ballerina is now scheduled to be released in theaters on June 6, 2025.
