The John Wick film series is going strong, and it's set to branch off with a spinoff. Ana de Armas is headlining Ballerina, which is officially in production. That confirmation was also accompanied by the news that franchise vet Ian McShane will reportedly reprise his role as the dangerous Winston for the cinematic offshoot. Now, it would seem that he won’t be the only Wick alum returning for the movie, as it’s now been said that the face of the franchise, Keanu Reeves, is set to team up with de Armas for the highly anticipated action flick.
News of Keanu Reeves’ alleged involvement in Ballerina comes from Collider. It's currently unclear just how big of a role he'll have in the film. However, the idea of Reeves appearing alongside the movie's leading lady in any capacity is incredibly exciting. As of this moment, Lionsgate has not commented on Reeves joining the motion picture.
The upcoming spinoff tackles a different corner of the fictional, action-packed universe. It’ll center on a young female assassin hunting down those who killed her family. This is a personal project for growing action star Ana de Armas, who joined the production last year. Though her film exists in a pre-existing franchise, the No Time to Die alum wanted to make sure that it provided a sense of freshness from a creative standpoint. To that point, earlier this year, de Armas revealed that she requested a female writer for the project.
While the notion of Keanu Reeves’ Wick joining the story is cool, it does bring up a number of questions. The biggest is, of course, what causes him to cross paths with the lethal lady. Is it possible that the two get on each other’s radar in a bad way? It could happen but, then again, considering that the Continental is likely in play here, there’s a chance that they’ll meet at one of the hotel chain’s locations, which serve as neutral ground.
This new movie is far from the only project that’s in the works for the fan-favorite film series. The much-delayed John Wick: Chapter 4 will finally hit the big screen in the coming months. There’s also the Wick TV spinoff, The Continental, which will focus on a younger version of Ian McShane's antagonistic role. On top of all this, a fifth Wick movie isn’t out of the question either, according to franchise director Chad Stahelski.
There’s a lot of exciting stuff happening in this growing film property, and this latest news on Ballerina is nothing short of excellent. Until we actually see just how Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas’ characters meet up on screen, let the speculation commence!
An official release date has not been announced for Ballerina as of this writing but, given that it’s filming right now, there’s a fair chance that it could drop as a part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. What we do know for sure, though, is that John Wick: Chapter 4 will release that year on March 24.
