Ballerina Footage Reaction: The First John Wick Spin-Off Looks Absolutely Insane [CinemaCon 2024]
Chad Stahelski's 2019 actioner "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum" featured a character named Rooney, a ballerina who was studying to be an assassin. Recall that seemingly 65% of the world's population are trained assassins in the world of John Wick, so a ballerina wanting to become an assassin is a viable career move. Rooney was played by a professional dancer named Unity Phelan, who has served as a principal dancer in the New York Ballet since 2021. The idea of a ballerina assassin was tantalizing, but Rooney's story was not followed in "Parabellum" or in the epically long "John Wick: Chapter 4."
One might also recall that John Wick seemingly died in "Chapter 4," leaving the franchise overlords in a lurch when it came to further sequels. Their solution was "John Wick Presents Ballerina," a film all about a ballerina's journey from the stage to the firing range. "Ballerina" will be directed by Len Wiseman, and Ana De Armas stars as the lead character. Also starring are Anjelica Houston, Ian McShane, Gabriel Byrne, and Lance Reddick, who filmed his scenes shortly before his death in 2023. The story will, like "John Wick," be a simple revenge plot in which a ballerina seeks blood revenge on the people who murdered her family.
Today, Lionsgate released some additional information about "Ballerina" at this year's CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada, and /Film's own Ryan Scott is there to reveal some new footage and additional details, all provided below. Prepare for a lot of slicings, bullets, bone crunches, and other creative ways to snatch the life out of a human body.
Plié your skills
Fans of the "John Wick" franchise haven't known exactly what to expect from the Ana de Armas-led spin-off, but a flood of details finally broke through today. We can now confirm that the new movie will be set between the events of the third "Wick" movie and the fourth, which likely means it will use those Anjelica Huston scenes from "Parabellum" — and the subplot involving Russian assassins that Keanu Reeves' hero apparently once had ties to — as a launching pad for the spin-off. Additionally, it turns out the reason for the lengthy delay of nearly two full years stems from the desire for all involved to add significant set pieces to the action.
And then came the exclusive footage. The reel begins with a heavily-tattooed de Armas sitting in a room, watching a ballerina toy spin, before cutting to her combat training. Huston returns as the mysterious and unnamed Director, whose voiceover indicates that de Armas' character is seeking vengeance against those who harmed her. The Continental hotel is back in all of its glory, where she gears up for her one-woman war against her foes. Those in attendance saw shots of her in the snow, armed to the teeth, and even snippets of "The Walking Dead" alum Norman Reedus in action. Brace yourselves for "Wick"-level sequences including bones breaking, flamethrowers, and a car chase at night involving some killer flamethrower action. Ana de Armas is standing in the bed an armored truck, while another armored vehicle chasing her pulls up alongside. She points a flamethrower through a little window in the back and blasts away, lighting the entire enemy truck on fire as they're cruising down the road at high speeds. Even after the truck is engulfed in flames, she doesn't let up, and /Film's Ryan Scott described the moment as "so f***ing badass."
The footage all builds to Keanu Reeves' John Wick himself appearing in the flesh, to whom de Armas asks, "How do I start doing what you do?" His response? "Looks like you already have."
Yeah, we're thinking he's back. "Ballerina" has all the makings of a worthy and faithfully stylized addition to the franchise, and it bows in theaters on June 6, 2025.