In 2023, John Wick: Chapter 4 smashed box office records and cemented Keanu Reeves as an action icon. The bullet-ridden, body-shattering fourth instalment sends titular assassin Wick on a global journey to bring down the High Table, resulting in jaw-dropping action sequences that mix kung-fu, gun-fu and (in Reeves' words) car-fu.
However, you may have questions about what's coming next in the Wickiverse. Initially, there was a plan to shoot John Wick 4 and John Wick 5 back-to-back, but this was nixed owing to the COVID pandemic.
Despair, not – we are getting another movie in this enjoyably violent universe, albeit not centered around Wick himself. Enter the Ballerina...
What is the story of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina?
Keanu Reeves revealed to Collider that From the World of John Wick: Ballerina occurs between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. The same Collider article drops details about the story, namely that it centres around a character called Rooney who is "a young assassin seeking vengeance for the murder of her family".
New details have emerged alongside the first Ballerina trailer (scroll down to watch it). It centres around assassin Eve Macarro who is "beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma". That's the cue for an explosive, bullet-ridden and strobe-laden action extravaganza starring Ana De Armas in the lead role.
Who is starring in the movie?
Oscar nominee Ana de Armas is playing the eponymous killer and will add to the action credentials she established in No Time To Die. She charmed and kicked ass in that movie as fledgling CIA agent Paloma, working alongside Daniel Craig's 007. We imagine that the action of Ballerina will have a much tougher, more brutal edge if the John Wick movies are anything to go by.
"I'm very proud of it. It's really exciting. It's dangerous, it's sexy, it's very John Wick," de Armas told Collider. "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."
Is John Wick appearing?
Yes, as confirmed by the trailer, Reeves' unstoppable force of nature, the 'Baba Yaga', will appear in the movie. His John Wick series compatriots Ian McShane will join him, playing Winston, and the late Lance Reddick as Charon. Also on board: Angelica Huston who appeared in the third John Wick movie as The Director.
According to McShane, Eve is under the protection of his character Winston, plus the character Charon (the late Lance Reddick), in the New York Continental Hotel, thus establishing its continuity in the series (it takes place before the events of John Wick: Chapter 4). The cast also includes Hereditary's Gabriel Byrne and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus.
Who is directing the movie?
Ballerina is being directed by action specialist Len Wiseman. He's helmed the Transporter movies with Jason Statham, the fourth Die Hard film with Bruce Willis and the first Underworld movie, starring Kate Beckinsale. He clearly knows his way around a thrilling set piece, so let's see if Wiseman can live up to the gauntlet thrown down by John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski (the latter produces the movie).
When is the movie due for release?
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is due for release on June 6th, 2025. Can't wait that long? Click the link below to discover 2024's upcoming action movies.
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