The John Wick universe just continues to get bigger and fans get more and more opportunities to dig into the lore of the High Table. While we eagerly await the premiere of The Continental this week, another John Wick spinoff gets some positive news.
Ballerina, which is scheduled to premiere next year, will be adding a new character to the cinematic universe that Lionsgate is making. The upcoming film follows Ana de Armas as Rooney, a Ballerina from the Ruska Roma faction, as she seeks revenge for the murder of her family. The movie will also touch on Rooney’s ties to John Wick and involves a fight scene with the master assassin.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Director Len Wiseman confirmed that the production of Ballerina is on hold due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes. However, there is some positive news from the film which according to the director will be a “fun movie. ”
“We’re on a pause right now, but I’ve just finished the director’s cut,” Wiseman shared. “Had an amazing shoot. It’s a really fun movie.” Wiseman also talked about de Armas’ epic action sequence from No Time To Die, saying, “Right? And that’s exactly what we’re going to do. You like her for 15 minutes? Well, you’ll love her for two hours!”
Having a director’s cut means that the film may be ready for release. However, like many other upcoming projects, Lionsgate may opt to delay the release of the movie as actors are not allowed to promote films while the Hollywood strikes are in effect.
We do hope that the movie won’t still require reshoots this late into production, but may still have some VFX work and other post-production tasks that have yet to be finished. Wiseman’s referral to a Director’s Cut also implies multiple versions and edits, increasing the workload.
There have been questions about John Wick’s participation in the spinoff. If you aren’t aware, John Wick has seemingly met his demise at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 which begs the question; why is he still in Ballerina?
Keanu Reeves clarified the timeline of the spinoff in relation to the main movies earlier this year. According to the actor, Ballerina will be set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. As a side note, we also are not entirely sure that John Wick is dead even after Reeves begged the production team to have a definitive end to his character.
The upcoming movie will feature John Wick mainstays Ian McShane and Lance Reddick alongside newcomers Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus. Ballerina is set to premiere in theaters on June 7, 2024.
