The John Wick franchise has been a hit among fans of the action genre since its debut in 2014. With Keanu Reeves as the lead character, the franchise has continued to deliver high-octane action sequences and a compelling storyline. In April 2022, the franchise announced a spinoff titled Ballerina, which will be led by Ana de Armas, who will portray Rooney, a ballerina-assassin previously introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Ballerina is set to take place between Parabellum and the recently released John Wick: Chapter 4 and follows Rooney as she hunts the murderers of her family. Alongside Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane will reprise their roles from prior films. The rest of the cast includes Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects), and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake recently provided some updates about the series during an interview with Deadline. Following the success of John Wick: Chapter 4, Drake spoke about when audiences can expect to return to the franchise’s world with the upcoming spinoff. Although a specific release date was not provided, Drake revealed that Ballerina is part of the studio’s 2024 slate and is being targeted for a spring or summer season release.
RELATED: John Wick Spinoff Ballerina Will Feature Major Fight Between Ana de Armas & Keanu Reeves
Ana de Armas Ready to Move on From Action Roles After Ballerina
Ana de Armas is a rising star in Hollywood, known for her captivating performances in films like Blade Runner 2049 and Knives Out. In recent years, she has been establishing herself as an action star, with roles in No Time To Die, The Gray Man, and the upcoming series Ballerina. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ana explained that she wants to focus on more character-driven roles in the near future. She gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix movie Blonde, and she is eager to take on more challenging and nuanced characters like this in the future.
“After Bond, there was kind of a wave of all these action roles, and that was fun. I chose from the ones that I thought were more exciting or with people I wanted to work with. I feel like Ballerina is going to be the end of that, at least for now, because I’m craving a wave of Blonde-type films. I want to do work with directors and do character work. I have had the opportunity to meet directors that I want to work with. The people that I’m getting access to is changing, and that makes me very excited.”
Another new addition to the John Wick franchise is the prequel series called The Continental. The series will provide viewers with a fascinating look into the origins of the hotel empire that serves as a sanctuary for the world’s assassins and its rules are sacrosanct. The series will delve into the history of the hotel empire, exploring its origins and how it became the center of the dangerous yet elegant murder-for-hire world. The rules of the Continental are what make it unique, and breaking them has dire consequences. The series will likely explore how these rules were established and how they’ve managed to stay in place for so long. The Continental will premiere this coming September on Peacock.
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