It has been a decade since audiences were first introduced to Keanu Reeves’ legendary assassin in John Wick, and now, with From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, one of the best action movie franchises in recent memory will get a new addition with a new character at the center of all the action.
The upcoming action thriller starring Ana De Armas as a ballerina-turned-assassin has us excited for another round of stylish action, even more creative kills, and the expansion of a criminal underworld with loads of interesting lore. Below is a breakdown of everything we know about the action flick, including its release date, all the new and returning John Wick characters who make up its cast, its explosive first trailer, and so much more.
What Is The Ballerina Release Date?
Fans of the franchise who are looking for the next installment will only have to wait a little while longer, as the From the World of John Wick: Ballerina release date has been set for June 6, 2025. The movie, which was supposed to come out a year earlier, was pushed back by a year in February 2024, and now currently sits in the middle of what looks to be a busy 2025 movie schedule.
What Is From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina About?
The first John Wick movie had a rather simple premise: a man receives a dog from his late wife on the day of her funeral, bonds with the pup, and then goes down a path of vengeance after the pet is killed. We don’t know if any dogs will be involved in Ballerina’s plot, but what we do know is that the upcoming movie will center on an assassin as she seeks revenge.
According to Deadline, the movie will follow Ana De Armas’ character as she seeks revenge against the people who killed her family. Simple, right? Well, as we’ve learned with previous John Wick movies, things may start simple but only become more complicated and deadly as the story progresses.
The Ballerina Trailer
After years of anticipation, Lionsgate finally unleashed Ballerina upon the world in September 2024, or at least the first trailer for the next stage in the John Wick franchise. The nearly two-and-a-half-minute video, which also revealed the full title, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, was well worth the wait as it showed off all kinds of impressive action sequences, thet debut of Ana de Armas’ young assassin, and even the return of Baba Yaga himself, John Wick:
There’s a lot to unpack from the first official clip from the highly-anticipated movie, including Norman Reedus’ mysterious character, what looks to be a great origin story with the ballerina-turned-killer and a bittersweet appearance by the late Lance Reddick.
The Ballerina Cast
The first four chapters in the John Wick franchise were led by Keanu Reeves, whose titular assassin found himself in dangerous and intense situations all over the world. However, the actor’s Knock Knock co-star will be the focal point this time around. Here is everyone we can expect to see in the Ballerina cast.
Ana De Armas as Rooney
Ana De Armas takes on the role of Rooney, a ballerina-turned-assassin on a path of revenge in the upcoming action thriller. Though this is De Armas’ first appearance in the franchise, the character briefly appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, played by Unity Phelan. De Armas is no stranger to the action world, as she’s popped up in everything from The Gray Man to No Time To Die, in addition to her more dramatic outings like Blonde and Knives Out.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick
Though it was implied that Reeves’ beloved character died in the John Wick: Chapter 4 ending, the actor will be reprising his role in Ballerina, as the movie takes place between the franchise’s third and fourth installments, per Collider. This means we will see the badass assassin at least one more time until we figure out what’s going on with John Wick 5, and Reeves will add another great performance to his list of accomplishments.
Ian McShane as Winston Scott
Ian McShane, who has played John Wick’s trusted friend and the owner of the Continental Hotel since the franchise’s beginning, will reprise his role in the upcoming spinoff. With his famed establishment still standing (remember, this takes place before Chapter 4), there’s a chance we get to see Winston in his old digs at least one more time.
Anjelica Huston as The Director
Anjelica Huston’s the Director was introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum as the leader of the Ruska Roma who reluctantly helped the titular killer on his quest. The acclaimed actress will be back again as she trains Ana De Armas’ character.
Lance Reddick as Charon
Though Lance Reddick’s fan-favorite character, Charon, died in the early minutes of Chapter 4, the character will still be alive in Ballerina, since it takes place before the actor’s shocking March 2023 death. This will be the actor’s final posthumously released film.
Norman Reedus
In addition to seeing the return of several of the best John Wick characters, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will also feature several actors making their franchise debuts, including Norman Reedus, per Deadline. Reedus’ role has yet to be revealed, but the actor brings with him a great track record that includes everything from The Walking Dead to The Boondock Saints to Triple 9.
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Catalina Sandino Moreno has also joined the Ballerina cast in an undisclosed role, according to Variety. After making a name for herself with her Academy Award-nominated portrayal of María Álvarez in 2004’s Maria Full of Grace, Moreno has appeared in everything from A Most Violent Year to John Woo’s Silent Night.
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Bryne, who has given iconic performances in movies like The Usual Suspects, Enemy of the State, Miller’s Crossing, and Hereditary, will now be a part of the John Wick franchise. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the Irish actor will appear in an undisclosed role when Ballerina hits the big screen.
Underworld’s Len Wiseman Directs Ballerina, Which Was Written By Shay Hatten And Emerald Fennell
Len Wiseman, best known for directing the first two Underworld movies and Live Free or Die Hard, directed From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Back in 2019, Deadline reported that Wiseman, whose work also includes Lucifer and the short-lived Swamp Thing series, was taking over directing duties from longtime franchise director Chad Stahelski. However, Deadline later reported in 2024 that Stahelski, who is also adapting the Ghost of Tsushima movie, had come on board to help work on some of the movie’s action sequences.
Shay Hatten, who previously served as one of the screenwriters on the two most recent John Wick movies, returned to the franchise once again to pen the Ballerina script. But the writer behind movies like Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon wasn’t alone in the scripting department, as Emerald Fennell, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, also worked on the screenplay, as reported by Variety.
What Will From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina Be Rated?
The MPA has not yet given From the World of John Wick: Ballerina a rating, but it’s hard to imagine it being anything besides rated R. The first four movies in the franchise, which have featured some ridiculously violent kills, all had the more restrictive rating, and there’s reason to believe it will be the same with the spinoff.
This Isn’t The Only John Wick Project In The Works
In the past decade, John Wick has grown from an inventive action thriller to one of the premier franchises in Hollywood with multiple sequels, a Peacock original series, and now Ballerina. But this isn’t the only project set in the world of assassins in the works, as Deadline reported in August 2024 that Lionsgate TV was working on a sequel series that would pick up after the events of John Wick 4. However, there hasn’t been too much information on this intriguing project since then.
There has also been talk of another spinoff based on Halle Berry’s character, Sofia Al-Azwar, who was last seen in 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which the actress said had potential when speaking with THR in September 2024. And speaking of badass John Wick characters getting their own movies, there has also been talk of Donnie Yen’s Cain from Chapter 4 getting his own movie at some point.
And lastly, back in May 2023, longtime John Wick producer Erica Lee told Collider said she was hopeful there would be a Ballerina 2, but that obviously depends on whether or not the 2025 action thriller becomes a hit with audiences.
Expect to hear about all of these exciting projects and From the World of John Wick: Ballerina in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, take a look at what remains of the 2024 movie schedule to see what’s coming to a big screen near you.
