The John Wick spinoff star says they got “amazing footage” with reshoots.
John Wick fans may have a long wait for the Ballerina spinoff film, which is currently set to arrive in theaters next summer, but star Ana de Armas says the time spent doing reshoots for the action flick was well worth it. Speaking with Collider, de Armas not only teased the “amazing footage” obtained doing reshoots on Ballerina, but also teased that a trailer for the eagerly anticipated film is coming out soon. Ballerina had originally been expected to hit theaters this summer, but it was announced back in February that the film, set to spin off the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, had been pushed to 2025 to film some additional action sequences with John Wick director Chad Stahelski.
“All we did in those reshoots had to be there,” de Armas said. “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.”
Back when the reshoots were first announced, actor Ian McShane, who reprises his John Wick role as Winston for Ballerina, clarified that they filmed entirely new scenes for the film in order to help Ballerina be more in line with the larger John Wick franchise.
“It’s not reshoots, it’s new shoots,” McShane said at the time. “They’re shooting for Ballerina, which is the spinoff with Ana de Armas of the John Wick franchise. You know, it’s like they’ve got to protect the franchise. And obviously I did it, when was it? We did it about a year ago, we did the movie Ballerina and they’ve looked at it, and Chad’s come in, the guy who directed all the John Wick movies, and they want to make it better. Because they have to protect it. Because Keanu’s in it as well, and it takes place between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4.”
Ballerina stars de Armas as Rooney, a ballerina-slash-assassin hunting down the people who murdered her family. The film also stars Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, and Lance Reddick in his final on-screen appearance. The film will also feature Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, and McShane. Len Wiseman directs from a script by Shay Hatten. McShane previously confirmed that the film is set between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4.
“This one is set between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4, because Keanu is in it, too,” McShane said. “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.”
Speaking of John Wick 5, rumors that a fifth John Wick film was set to start filming were recently debunked — franchise helmer Stahelski is currently working on the Henry Cavill-starting Highlander reboot. That said, it doesn’t mean a fifth Wick film couldn’t still happen down the line; Stahelski took on the role of overseer of all things John Wick for Lionsgate thanks to a first-look deal with the studio in January.
“I am pleased to be able to grow my relationship with Lionsgate in this new oversight role for the John Wick universe and its further expansion,” Stahelski said at the time. “John Wick is so close to my heart and to be able to continue shepherding it will be a blast for me. I’m so happy to also be launching another franchise with Highlander, a world that is so rich with engaging stories to be told.”
