When Ballerina steps into the ever-expanding world of John Wick, it does more than spin off - it pirouettes into a space all its own. Directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld) and led by a ferociously committed Ana de Armas (Knives Out), the film is both a tribute to the franchise’s sleek, brutal legacy and an exploration of what another big-screen Wick-verse story can look like. Ballerina is the first installment in the series not anchored by Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, yet his presence - literal and thematic - will be seen and felt.

Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, flamethrower duels, grenade fights, and deeply intimate performances, Ballerina very intentionally offers audiences a new way to experience John Wick-level action cinema - one rooted in elegance, emotion, and evolution.

We spoke to the director, cast, and producers of Ballerina to preview the anticipated summer film, and as we dive into how its story connects to the larger John Wick mythology, meet its fierce protagonist, and look ahead to the franchise’s future, one thing becomes clear: Ballerina is more than a side story squeezed into a well-established canon. For more on how the franchise has evolved over a decade, you can revisit my John Wick 10th Anniversary Cover Story.

How Does Ballerina Really Connect To The John Wick Universe?

Where Ballerina Fits In The John Wick Saga Timeline

Set between the chaos of Chapter 3 and the reckoning of Chapter 4, Ballerina carefully weaves its narrative through the existing Wick tapestry without unraveling it. "I think that was clever, them to put it in there, because you've met the character before in Episode Three of the Wick franchise," Ian McShane, who returns as the wise mentor Winston and manager of the iconic New York Continental Hotel, explained to me. "And I think having a female assassin was very smart. If you're going to expand the universe, that was very smart - not just to bring in a female assassin, but to bring in a character that you met before," he continues, emphasizing how the spinoff strategically widens the franchise’s scope.

Director Len Wiseman was deliberate about this connection and setup for the first John Wick feature following another lead, noting in our interview that there's "no franchise bible per se," but that the ideas, the way in for audiences, and his own excitement came from conversations with Chad Stahelski - who created the IP and directed all four John Wick films - and the team at Thunder Road Films (producer Basil Iwanyk's production company). Wiseman adds:

"I liked the fact that we were recreating some of the sets so that we’re not using any footage from John Wick: Chapter 3, but we’re seeing iconic sequences from a different perspective. And so it was really cool to actually see it now - with a few audiences and fans who have seen it - when they start to recognize what scene this is, or start whispering, ‘Oh shit, is that where Ana was during this time?’ That’s the kind of stuff I really love."

This choice offers fans a layered rewatch experience while avoiding direct retreads. Interestingly, the project didn’t initially include John Wick at all. "We developed a lot of drafts without John in it... and then we decided, okay, let's give it a shot... He’s like, this is pretty fucking cool," said producer Basil Iwanyk. That evolution eventually brought back Keanu Reeves with meaningful impact, not just for nostalgia or marketing purposes. And once Reeves got to work on Ballerina, he asked to add more action for his scenes.

He read the script and said, "This is pretty fucking cool"... Then he said, "I think I need more action at the end."

This expansion of the John Wick timeline aligns with what Chad Stahelski shared in our 10th anniversary retrospective: "We wanted to expand the universe, not just in of action, but in of character and mythology." Ballerina does just that, threading a new story through existing lore with precision.

And that depth extends to other familiar faces. "My character’s known her character since she was a little girl... there’s a relationship from the beginning to the end of the film," McShane added, hinting at the deep ties between Winston and Eve that enrich the storyline. More on this relationship and how it evolves later...

Who Is Eve And Why Should We Root For Ana de Armas' New Assassin?

Ana de Armas As Eve Macarro: A Vengeful Assassin With A Human Heart

Unlike Wick, whose grief is sparked by a recent loss, Eve Macarro's pain is long-buried and deeply personal. "This character is going through so much pain. It's pain that she had been bottling up her entire life. She couldn't know what happened to her father," Ana de Armas explained to us before hinting at the character's transformation. "I just loved the way she just uses all that pain and the frustration and the not knowing about her past and her family and what happened to her life, to seek revenge." It’s not just about vengeance - it’s about redemption.

Eve brings a new energy to the world of John Wick: less stoic, more human. “She is someone who is desperate to get in and she'll do anything it takes. And what's kind of fun to watch is you could tell she takes some joy out of the mayhem," said Basil Iwanyk, who continues to explain that when it comes to Ana de Armas, she was not only willing to train, but excited to. "She has great heart and she’s a terrific actress." That balance of ruthlessness and vulnerability is what makes her stand apart.

"She's fierce and powerful... audiences are going to love her and root for her."

Anjelica Huston, who returns as The Director, was equally impressed by her co-star: "She's fierce and powerful... audiences are going to love her and root for her." And Norman Reedus, who plays a mysterious new character introduced in Ballerina, echoed the sentiment and emphasized the great chemistry they had on set: "She is very serious and also very fun to be around."

Eve may be a killer in a world of killers, but her mission is laced with empathy - a duality that sets her apart in a world built on blood.

The Ruska Roma Returns And Will Be Explored More Deeply

Inside The Ruska Roma: Ballet, Blood, And Assassin Rituals

Ballerina dives deep into the Ruska Roma, the secretive syndicate that first appeared in Parabellum and is run by The Director (Anjelica Huston). Here, the line between grace and gore is razor-thin, and the film "gives a deeper look into the ever-powerful and mysterious group the Ruska Roma at the Tarkovsky Theater in New York," Huston revealed to me over email. "You’ll see training in both ballet and brutal combat and ritualistic tattoo ceremonies."

As for The Director, Huston loves the mystery behind the character and wants to keep playing her. She describes her:

"She’s a surrogate mother figure to many students. She’s the director of a world-renowned glamorous theater so she carries herself with grace, regality, and power. She seeks perfection from both herself and her pupils. She’s really fun to play- elaborate costumes and jewelry. She’s powerful, gets to command her students. She’s a boss who calls the shots."

Len Wiseman was fascinated by the unexplored corners of the organization. "I wanted to show what really does take place there—what’s behind the veil," he said. That includes a raw look at how young recruits, like Eve, are shaped through physical and emotional trials.

"A lot with the Ruska Roma has not been seen. We get a sense of the Ruska Roma through John coming over to The Director when he’s looking to get her help on his way out. But what I really wanted to show is - what really does take place there? What’s behind the veil? And what is the training like? What would it be like with somebody coming in from the beginning, which is what Ana’s character is - opening the doors, coming into the Ruska Roma for the first time and seeing what that training and what that world is. So there was a lot to uncover and go into the different layers and the kind of belly of the Roma and what is the real connection between ballet and training to become an assassin." – Len Wiseman

John Wick franchise producer Erica Lee added, "We get to explore further the Ruska Roma and Eve’s backstory and this mysterious town where all these assassins live." This deeper dive into assassin culture provides both mythos and motivation.

"There’s a surrogate mother kind of relationship... I wanted to show a darker side of the Director," Wiseman explained, turning the spotlight on Huston’s returning character as both a matriarch and a merciless mentor.

Are There Any Surprises Or Crossovers In Ballerina?

Keanu Reeves, Cameos, And Ciphers: The Wick Universe Expands

Yes, Keanu's John Wick, the Baba Yaga, returns, but not as a glorified cameo. "We're seeing iconic sequences from a different perspective... and the crowd starts to whisper like, 'Oh shit, is that where Ana was during this time?'" Wiseman teases about reactions to screening the film and about re-exploring a part of the franchise timeline in a different way. The layered storytelling rewards fans who have been paying close attention.

Of course, Winston and The Director return and play pivotal roles, with McShane sharing that Winston has known Eve since she was a little girl. "She doesn’t know until that moment later on. And then she comes back. So there’s a relationship between them from the beginning of the film to the end of the film, which is kind of nice. Which wasn’t there in the original—it was added in later on." These threads evolved throughout the production, with Eve and Winston's relationship added during additional photography to flesh out their relationship and history.

Then there’s Norman Reedus, who its to being a big fan of the films and happily enters the Wick universe as a new character, Daniel Pine. "Norman Reedus is someone we’ve been dying to get into the Wick franchise... it would be great to have more of him for sure," Erica Lee tells us of the casting. Pine, as played by Reedus, is complex. "He has both sides of the coin to him, he can be fierce and soft at the same time. In this world, killers also have families and can flip flop between killing and protecting. They may see it as the same thing," Reedus tells me over email.

Norman Reedus tells us he'd come back to the John Wick universe "in a heartbeat!"

The Action - What Does Ballerina Embrace And Add To the John Wick Formula?

Flamethrowers And Frozen Killzones: How Ballerina Reinvents Wick Action

Ballerina carries the Wick DNA but isn't afraid to evolve. "The flamethrower scene... I'd never seen a flamethrower fight like that, with fire and water mixed - it felt authentic to the Wick world," de Armas tells us. The result? One of the franchise’s most inventive and intense set pieces.

"It was really intense. It was one of the scenes that we shot afterwards, one of the additional photography scenes that we did. And it was so wonderful to have that addition to the movie because it's just so, like you said, it's just so strong and it's visually stunning and it was very demanding too, and it's something that I had never seen before on screen. It was very dangerous and it was kind of scary, but at the same time, it was just so cool to be able to do that. It was a whole different stunt crew, just all about fire. That's all they do. And they're the best of the best people." – Ana de Armas

Wiseman wanted the violence to feel fresh. "What if it was a grenade fight indoors... like a snowball fight?" he mused. These aren’t just gimmicks, there's an obvious need to push the creative bar set by previous films. And Chad Stahelski helped in providing action design for additional photography.

Location plays a key role in the action design, too. "We choreograph the action around the locations... so we were able to do this kitchen fight, plates, knives, freezer gag - stuff we hadn’t done before," Lee adds. The cold Eastern European setting becomes a character all its own.

And it’s not just about choreography - it’s about commitment from Ballerina's star. "She was excited to train... some actors say, ‘I’ll show up for two weeks,’ but she was like, ‘I’m all in,'" Iwanyk noted about Ana de Armas embracing the role and going above and beyond. That dedication elevates every punch, every pirouette, and is essential to the franchise's winning formula.

The Future Of The John Wick Franchise & Spinoffs

What’s Next After Ballerina: More Spinoffs, John Wick 5, And A New Franchise Face

The future of the John Wick universe is full of possibilities at this point, with another spinoff movie featuring Donnie Yen's Caine from Chapter 4 in development and John Wick: Chapter 5 being officially announced by Lionsgate last month. But Eve Macarro's journey may just be beginning, too. "Do I see Eve as the future face? I hope the audience embraces her and the movie. If they tell us they want more, we have a ton more," said Iwanyk.

Erica Lee backed that up when we asked her about Eve's future: "I would love to see her have her own trilogy... that’s always what we envisioned." Even Keanu Reeves already has ideas for Ballerina 2.

As for what comes first, "We're doing a spinoff with Donnie Yen... that will probably be the first to go," Lee confirmed. Still, the producers are avoiding narrative entanglements. "The idea for Wick 5 is a work in progress... we're trying to stay nimble, not force a Marvel-style roap," Iwanyk adds.

And while the long-term future of Keanu Reeves' involvement remains a question, even if Chapter 5 promises to start a new story within the John Wick universe, Ian McShane offered a grounded perspective:

"Who knows if there will be a number five. That's up to Keanu, as I said before. I mean, John Wick 5 lives or dies with him. The franchise... who knows, may not. I mean, I hope this is great for her, great for all. We all benefit from it if it's a success, so let's hope so."

Ballerina Releases June 6, 2025

Ana de Armas Eve Macarro Opens Up The World Of John Wick

Ballerina marks a turning point for the John Wick franchise: a branching out that doesn’t dilute the core, but potentially opens the door to other characters beginning their big-screen journeys. With Ana de Armas commanding the screen as Eve Macarro, the very first John Wick spinoff aims to prove that the universe can evolve without losing its signature style. The choreography of violence remains, but the style and the emotional stakes are unique.

As David Leitch, co-director of the first John Wick, noted during our 10th anniversary interviews, "Working on John Wick taught me that sometimes less is more. It's about precision and purpose." Ballerina embodies that principle - and pirouettes toward a bold new future. And in a universe built on blood oaths and bullet ballets, that’s a spotlight well-earned.