The John Wick franchise is set to broaden its horizons in 2025 with the upcoming film, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Directed by Len Wiseman, this new installment features Ana de Armas in the role of Eve Macarro, a talented ballerina training to become an assassin under the Ruska Roma crime syndicate.
Initially slated for a June release, Lionsgate has postponed the film by a year to 2025. The studio called for additional shooting and enlisted John Wick director Chad Stahelski to collaborate with Wiseman on fresh action sequences. While reshoots are a common part of blockbuster filmmaking, what began as minor adjustments has transformed Ballerina into an entirely new project.
According to a report from The Wrap, Stahelski had to reshoot a major portion of the film after the studio was dissatisfied with Wiseman’s initial cut. He undertook these new scenes in Budapest without Wiseman’s presence, which reportedly extended over two to three months. This delay has affected the start of Stahelski’s next project, Highlander, leading Henry Cavill, who is set to star in that film, to likely accept a role in Voltron due to the scheduling conflict.
“Chad essentially had to clean up someone else’s work. It’s important to note that this film is essentially John Wick 3.5,” an insider said. “It fits into the timeline before John Wick 4, and they simply cannot afford any missteps with anything related to the Wick franchise.”
Will the decision to delay and reshoot Ballerina prove beneficial? According to Big Screen Leaks, the revised version of Ballerina scored significantly higher in a recent test screening compared to Wiseman’s original cut.
BALLERINA tested again last week, with Stahelski’s fingerprints and reshoots all over it. Compared to the original cut, scores skyrocketed significantly. Reshoots saved this movie big time. https://t.co/OPOs7rVvwA
— BSL (@bigscreenleaks) October 14, 2024
Ballerina is set during the timeline of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and precedes John Wick: Chapter 4. The film will see the return of Anjelica Huston as the Director, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, Lance Reddick as Charon, and Keanu Reeves as John Wick. New cast members include Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, David Castañeda, and Norman Reedus.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is scheduled to hit theaters on June 6, 2025.