The John Wick franchise is growing. While John Wick: Chapter 5 remains a big question mark given the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, the world of the film will soon be expanded on the big screen with Ballerina, a spinoff starring Ana de Armas and directed by Len Wiseman. The movie is confirmed to be in continuity, with specific connections to the existing films (particularly John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum), but one thing that the project doesn’t have is the specific involvement of director Chad Stahelski, who has made a point of being hands-off when it comes to the developing canon expansion after directing all four John Wick features.
Ballerina was a project that I had the chance to discuss with Stahelski earlier this year when I spoke with him during the pre-release press day for John Wick: Chapter 4. I asked about his work on the upcoming movie and his experience collaborating with Ana de Armas, but he told me that he has made a choice not to be fully immersed in the making of the film. Said the filmmaker,
Len [Weisman] was a director I worked for when I was just a stunt guy – when they were doing the Underworlds and Die Hard 4, I think it was. So visually, I think Len is... that's why we selected him. One thing I want to be very clear of is, I wanted to be kind of hands free of anything to do with it.
Continuing, Chad Stahelski explained that letting Ballerina be a project free of his direct influence was a choice that he made because he feels that it is a thing that is healthy for the expansion of the John Wick franchise. He had discussions with Len Wiseman about the rules (or lack of rules) in the continuity, and he is credited as a producer, but after he shared his perspective, he let the director go off and make the movie:
I think the best way for a property to expand is to try to bring in some ideas. I think Len was great wanting to understand themes and looks and how we do the process of John Wick, 'cause it is a little anti-system or anti-logical probably – illogical. And then Len kind of took that and kind of rolled off.
Ballerina will feature Ana de Armas as Rooney, a character audiences first met played by actress Unity Phelan in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The story will center on the protagonist’s own mission for revenge, and the movie will feature a number of standout characters from the John Wick franchise. Anjelica Huston and Keanu Reeves will be in the movie reprising their respective canonical roles, and I spoke with Ian McShane and Lance Reddick about their involvement in the film prior to the latter’s unexpected passing in the spring.
While not personally guiding Ana de Armas through the action in the developing spinoff, Chad Stahelski added that he has had the chance to meet the Ballerina star, and he’s been impressed by qualities that she shares in common with Keanu Reeves (with whom she previously worked on the 2015 horror film Knock Knock). Said Stahelski,
I've gotten to meet Ana a few times and Keanu obviously had known her from other projects and she shares a lot of the same attributes that Keanu does. It's like she's got that, 'I'm going to make this mine and do something cool with it.' And Len is, I think, the perfect director to let somebody expand that way. So I would say that's probably the most important thing, is she gets it, but in her way. And I think that's what a franchise needs to expand, to grow.
After starting principal photography in the last couple months of 2022, Ballerina entered post-production earlier this year… though it’s going to be a minute before audiences get to see it, as Lionsgate has made the action film part of their 2024 movie calendar. Specifically, the movie is presently scheduled to hit theaters on June 7, 2024. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates about the project as it gets closer to release.
