The upcoming John Wick spinoff Ballerina may offer a new look at the assassin underworld, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will stray all that far from its roots. Ana De Armas is currently in the middle of filming. On one hand, she's working on some pretty elaborate stunts that might set the project apart from its predecessors. But on the other, she's been doing a lot of those stunts with Keanu Reeves himself.
When it was recently announced that Reeves would appear in Ballerina, many wondered how big of a role he would play, given that the new movie will focus on de Armas' character rather than Reeves' titular assassin from the main series of John Wick films. That question still lingers, of course. But now, de Armas has shed more light on what audiences can expect from her spinoff. There's definitely some more Reeves action incoming, at least to an extent.
In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, de Armas spoke about how production is going with Ballerina now that they're in the thick of the filming process. As fun as the experience seems to be for her, that doesn't mean it isn't super intense, especially compared to her comparatively short action sequence in the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die. "We've been in Prague filming for four months," she said. "We still have one more month to go. And I'm in pain. You know, my body, my back, everything hurts. I'm complaining, I'm sore, I'm bruised. Bond was fifteen minutes. This is a whole movie, another level."
She's not only doing these stunts alone, as it seems she also shares at least one scene with the famously likable Reeves. "But the other day, Keanu and I were rehearsing our very difficult stunt scene, and this man is just rolling and throwing me and doing crazy stunts," de Armas continued. "And I'm like — I can't complain anymore. Because he is doing it! He truly is the best." It seems as though everyone gets a little happier with Reeves around. Either that or de Armas simply handles pain like a champion.
Ballerina will star de Armas as Rooney, a ballerina-turned-assassin who uses her deadly skills to hunt down the people who killed her family. Not much else is known about the film, except that it will be set between the 3rd and 4th John Wick movies and is set to star several returning actors from them. De Armas also insisted on a female writer for Ballerina, so there may be some notable shifts in the writing and tone of the spinoff compared to where it came from.
Unfortunately, Ballerina currently has no release date. Considering de Armas and the rest of the cast are still a month away from filming completion, that isn't exactly surprising. But at the very least, fans of the franchise can rest easy knowing they've got a new John Wick movie coming this year. Between that and the eventual release of this highly-anticipated spinoff, there's definitely some good eating in the near future.
Ballerina is currently in production, while John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release in theaters on March 24th, 2023.