Technically, the title of this film appears to be From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, but that is an awkward mouthful. The short, direct version also seems much more appropriate when one’s protagonist is, well, small, and also direct: When she wants to murder you, she will.
Ballerina stars Ana de Armas (who kicked a lot of ass in No Time to Die) as the dancer/assassin Eve Macarro, who was briefly seen (played by Unity Phelan) in the third John Wick film. Here, she gets a backstory and her own special skillset. Eve’s family was murdered, and she’s out for revenge. It’s very basic, which is fine. Who needs twisty tales and elaborate histories when you’ve got a ballerina murdering people with ice skates and going apeshit with a firehose?
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) himself is here, too, doing his very specific John Wick Vocal Patterns as Eve asks for his help learning to do what he does. Ballerina is set “during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” according to a press release, which also says that Eve is “beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.” She seems pretty advanced to me.
Ballerina also stars Wick regulars Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston, and Lance Reddick, in one of his final roles. For this film, Norman Reedus, Gabriel Byrne, and Catalina Sandino Moreno join the franchise. Len Wiseman (Underworld) directs from a screenplay by Shay Hatten (of Rebel Moon and the third and fourth John Wick films). She dances into theaters June 6th, 2025.
