John Wick Spin-Off Ballerina Will See The Return Of Lance Reddick As Charon
The "John Wick" universe continues to grow: original franchise actor Lance Reddick is now onboard for "Ballerina," the Ana de Armas-led spinoff film, according to Variety. Reddick plays the role of Charon, the concierge at the Hotel Continental who caters to its criminal underworld guests. He will join returning cast members Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Anjelica Huston in the film, with de Armas taking over the role of the vengeful assassin ballerina who appeared in "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum."
Reddick's return is a welcome one, in part because the growing returning cast list is a sign that Lionsgate isn't just building a disposable or tangentially related "John Wick" spinoff, but something more integral to the story that action fans have shown up for again and again. "Ballerina" isn't the only additional Wick-verse project on the horizon. The Continental is also set to get its own story (before you Google it: no, the 2018 movie "Hotel Artemis" was not related to "John Wick"), a Starz prequel series titled after the hotel that will be set in the 1970s. "The Continental" won't star Reddick and McShane, the latter of which plays the hotel owner Winston, but will feature younger versions of the characters embodied by Ayomide Adegun and Colin Woodell, respectively. Reddick is also set to return for the "John Wick" franchise's fourth installment next spring.
The spinoff cast keeps growing
It's also great to see Lance Reddick back in his "John Wick" role simply because he's an excellent actor whose appearance onscreen is always a welcome one. The actor has previously put in great work on shows like "The Wire" and "Fringe," and has most recently starred in the detective procedural "Bosch" and Netflix's "Resident Evil" adaptation. "Ballerina" producer Erica Lee shared a statement with Variety about Reddick's return in the new film, saying, "Charon is an indispensable part of the world of Wick. It's great to know that Lance will continue to make his mark on this franchise."
Though the plot details of "Ballerina" are mostly under wraps at the moment, we know "Knives Out" and "No Time To Die" star Ana de Armas will star as a ballerina seeking revenge after her family was killed. Franchise fans have also caught a glimpse of the ballet group that will likely feature into the new film before, when Wick sought refuge in with the Romani-Russian crime syndicate the Ruska Roma in "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum." There, he met Anjelica Huston's The Director, who helps him despite his "excommunicado" status when she's not directing ballet rehearsals. Real-life New York City Ballet principal dancer Unity Phelan (who also danced in "I'm Thinking of Ending Things") appeared as the assassin ballerina in that film, but was replaced by de Armas for the upcoming feature.
"Ballerina" does not yet have a set release date, but "John Wick: Chapter 4" is set to hit theaters on March 24, 2023.