The action genre struggled for a long time. It had many forgettable movies filled with CGI that felt unimportant.
The glory days brought by franchises like Die Hard and Rambo seemed far away. Fans of action films had to watch giant robot battles and superhero movies.
While those films are not bad, they often feel similar. Suddenly, in one year, something changed.
A remarkable action film came out that was so good, so intense, and so iconic that it earned a reputation as the best new action film in years. This film changed the action genre forever.
That film is John Wick. It was directed by stunt experts Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, and it stars the legendary Keanu Reeves, known for his role in The Matrix series.
The film’s idea—a former assassin seeking revenge after his dog is killed—sounds strange but became the perfect setup for thrilling action.
Although John Wick began as a film many talked about, it quickly grew into a successful franchise with three excellent sequels and a prequel series called The Continental.
A fifth movie is also being planned, along with a connected universe of films and TV shows. The Continental is the first TV spin-off from John Wick.
However, there is another exciting project on the way, marking the first feature film spin-off from this popular action franchise. It is titled Ballerina (or its full title, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina).
This new adventure will introduce a new main character who follows in John Wick’s footsteps, expanding the complex stories of this criminal world.
It may also reveal more about John Wick’s mysterious past. While this story features new characters, it has been confirmed that Ballerina will bring back familiar faces.
To find out who will appear and when you can watch the new film, read on to discover everything we know so far about Ballerina.
Does ‘Ballerina’ Have a Release Date?
Ballerina is set to come to theaters on Friday, June 6, 2025. This release date falls in a busy summer movie season, which will also feature films like Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Mission: Impossible 8, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and the live-action How to Train Your Dragon.
Initially, Ballerina was supposed to be released a year earlier, on Friday, June 7, 2024. However, Lionsgate decided to delay the film to film additional action scenes under the guidance of series veteran Chad Stahelski.
Will ‘Ballerina’ Be Released in Theaters or on Streaming?
Ballerina will follow the earlier John Wick films and be released in theaters.
Is There a Trailer for ‘Ballerina’?
The first official trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina was released by Lionsgate on September 26, 2024.
The trailer, set to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” begins with our main character, Eve, as a child, meeting Winston, who takes her in.
It then jumps to adult Eve training and watching John Wick. We learn that Eve seeks revenge against the villain Chancellor, who killed her father. The trailer ends with Eve meeting John Wick.
Who’s Starring in ‘Ballerina’?
Ana de Armas stars as Eve Macarro. She gained attention for her performances in Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out, and her role in No Time To Die.
The cast also includes Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead as the mysterious Pine, Gabriel Byrne (from Hereditary) as the main villain Chancellor, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (from Dune: Part One) as Nogi.
Other actors joining the John Wick universe are Catalina Sandino Moreno and David Castañeda, who will play undisclosed roles.
Fans of John Wick will be excited to hear about the return of many stars from the original series. Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as John Wick, alongside Ian McShane as Winston, and Anjelica Huston as The Director, a ballerina assassin instructor.
Sadly, Ballerina will also be the last on-screen appearance of the late Lance Reddick as the loyal concierge Charon. Reddick passed away from heart disease in March 2023, shortly before the release of John Wick Chapter 4.
While speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, McShane hinted at his role in Ballerina, along with the roles of Reddick and Reeves:
“Well, it’s similar. Keanu’s in it too, but they’re all cameos in it. Basically, throughout the movie, he’s dotted a little more, and [Ana de Armas] was great doing her action, you know, she was terrific.”
Reddick added:
“Our participation in it is so much about helping to, for the audience, connect that it’s part of the same world.”
Producer Erica Lee explained that McShane’s role will give him more to do than Reddick and Reeves:
“Ian has a little bit more to do, and John Wick is an extended cameo. He shot for about a week. Lance shot for a day. Those were last minute adds in a way, too. How do we merge the worlds a bit more, so there’s a bit of more of brand continuity?
Because obviously, she’s a ballerina in the Ruska Roma School, so that was having Anjelica [Huston] as The Director was always an organic way in, and she always did check into a Continental. But then it was fun to have Ian and Lance come. I didn’t know if Keanu was going to do the movie.
I think we had always hoped he would. Then the timeline thing became a thing because we were still in post on ‘John Wick 4,’ and it was like, is he dead? Is he not? Is he dead? Yeah, let’s do this, so it makes sense chronologically and gives us a minute to figure it all out.”
Reedus discussed working on Ballerina, sharing:
“It was painful. [Laughs] I just got back from Budapest where we added more fight scenes to it. So, I went from Japan to Budapest, back to Japan basically. It’s high-octane. It’s a cool story, it’s well-acted, visually stunning, but it’s just like bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.”
What Is the Plot of ‘Ballerina’?
The official summary for Ballerina from Lionsgate states:
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) as she begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
While promoting John Wick: Chapter 4 at CCXP 2022, Keanu Reeves shared more details about the new project:
“[she is a] woman who has some very difficult circumstances and who’s looking for revenge. Whoever killed her—someone killed her father. Who could that be? And so it’s her journey for actually understanding her past.
She lost her father at a young age, and she doesn’t really know what happened. Only that someone came into the house and killed her father, who had a tattoo. And as we know in John Wick, if you have a tattoo, something’s going on.”
Reeves also revealed that the film will take place between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. In an interview with Collider’s Robert Taylor, McShane explained why the film is set between the third and fourth films.
This film is set between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4 because Keanu is in it too. 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.
The idea of ballerina assassins might sound familiar. We briefly saw them in Chapter 3 when John seeks help from a mysterious figure from his past known as The Director (Anjelica Huston). As usual in the John Wick universe, not everything is as it appears.
This is not a simple ballet academy; it is a cover for training skilled assassins for various criminal activities. Reeves’ statement suggests a murder mystery element, with Eve (Ana de Armas) trying to discover the killer.
This might connect to the High Table killing her peers and Director in Chapter 3, but her father’s death raises more questions about who the killer could be.
Screenwriter Shay Hatten revealed that Ballerina aims to show the themes of vengeance and redemption, similar to the John Wick films.
However, it will also stand out by focusing on female empowerment, marking an important change in the franchise’s direction.
Who Is Behind the Camera for ‘Ballerina’?
Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman, who is known for his work on Underworld. He has also directed films such as Live Free or Die Hard and Total Recall.
The screenplay is written by Shay Hatten, a rising star in Hollywood who has worked on projects like John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Army of the Dead.
Ballerina promises to be an exciting new entry into the John Wick universe. With a strong cast led by Ana de Armas and returning stars like Keanu Reeves, the film will show themes of revenge and empowerment.
The film’s release on June 6, 2025, will be a highly anticipated event for action movie fans.
As the John Wick franchise continues to expand, audiences can expect a thrilling experience with Ballerina that combines action with a compelling narrative.
Get ready for a new chapter in the action genre that promises to attract and entertain!
