It’s been two years since John Wick: Chapter 4 left audiences across the globe speechless. Since then, Lionsgate has made major efforts to expand the franchise, from producing the ill-fated The Continental limited series on Peacock to announcing a Caine spin-off film written and directed by Donnie Yen, an anime-inspired prequel, and, in a somewhat controversial move, John Wick: Chapter 5. But all of these exciting prospects rest on the shoulders of Ballerina, also marketed as From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025). Luckily, the first John Wick spin-off movie passes the test with flying colors, thanks to an explosive lead performance from Ana de Armas, purely unbelievable action, and a meaningful deepening of the franchise lore.
Ballerina turning out as well as it did is impressive, considering its scrambled production history. The project began as a completely unrelated action film written by Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead, Rebel Moon), which Lionsgate eventually purchased. Elements from that spec script were integrated into John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), with Hatten himself then rewriting it altogether to fit neatly into the universe. Finally, Chad Stahelski personally selected director Len Wiseman — best known for the Underworld series, Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and Total Recall (2012) — to take the reins.
After principal photography was completed, Stahelski reportedly stepped in to fully direct a few months of reshoots. Ultimately, Wiseman received full directorial credit. Yet, there are minimal marks of a Frankenstein-like picture in Ballerina.
Ana de Armas Creates a New Action Icon
Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, Ballerina follows Eve Macarro, an orphan who the Ruska Roma took in to undergo training for their lethal protector program. Overseen by The Director (Anjelica Huston), Eve hones her skills before embarking into the world of murder-for-hire on her own. Out in the field, she encounters Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus), an assassin who escaped a hitman cult of sorts that’s taken over a small town in Prague under the leadership of The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Eve recognizes this as the same sadistic group that killed her father, opting to get her vengeance.
When her activities become too high-profile, the Director calls in a favor from the Baba Yaga himself, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), to stop her. Firstly, those who loved Ana de Armas’ all-too-brief turn in No Time to Die (2021) will be in heaven here. As Eve Macarro, de Armas has redefined herself as an action star to be reckoned with. While she can certainly handle the franchise’s signature gun-fu shooting sequences, what makes Eve unique is that, as said by Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s character early on, she learns how to “fight like a girl.”
In practice, fighting like a girl means that Eve uses her agility a lot more than what audiences have seen assassins do in previous John Wick movies. Moreover, Ana de Armas is a machine at using her opponents’ weight against them and utilizing any weapons, tools, or everyday items in sight to exploit their weaknesses.
The John Wick Universe Builds Outward
Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro works in perfect concert with Shay Hatten’s screenplay, which apparently received additional input from Saltburn (2023) filmmaker Emerald Fennell. What makes Eve a captivating character, narrative-wise, despite an obvious revenge plot, is that she’s green in the world of assassins. Eve is merely getting started, so through her eyes, the viewer gets a first-person perspective of what it takes to climb the ladder. Ballerina excels at showing a side of this universe that fans have never seen before. The traditions of the Ruska Roma are further laid out and explored, proving a fascinating sort of fraternal order.
Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family) gets much more to chew on as the Director. In contrast, The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus’ screen time is significantly shorter. Still, he gets to have some fun playing a lone wolf type. Ballerina thrillingly showcases the different types of assassin organizations that operate in this universe. Previous John Wick films only depicted actively working assassins as an amorphous blob under the High Table. Thus, Ballerina makes some important distinctions. The assassin cult is a wonderful example of this, making the world feel more lived-in and expansive. Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary) brings heavy gravitas to the Chancellor, delivering a terrifically steely, understated performance that provides Eve with the right antagonist for her story.
Flirting With Nostalgia is a Dangerous Game
In terms of how Ballerina ties in existing John Wick lore, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s fun to see key scenes from John Wick: Chapter 3 from a different angle. Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (the late, great Lance Reddick) are always welcome presences. The John Wick of it all is where things start to get a bit thorny. For most of the film’s runtime, Wick’s presence is effective. As a seasoned assassin, he offers Eve a nice dichotomy and mentorship. His inclusion feels organic until the third act, where his sized-up role veers too close to cheap fan service.
John Wick’s purpose in the third act of Ballerina is not a terrible choice, but it stands out like a sore thumb from the rest of the film. That is really one of the few slip-ups in the movie’s bone-crunching spell. Sure, the dialogue may not be as slick as in prior installments. What does it matter, though, when the action is as spectacular as it’s ever been? French cinematographer Romain Lacourbas (The Witcher) shoots some of the wildest battles and shootouts in the franchise. An early highlight is a neon-drenched, polar-themed nightclub sequence where Eve infiltrates using only non-lethal rounds that immediately establishes what makes her fighting style different. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The Action Remains World-Class
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, backed by a rollicking score from franchise regulars Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richards, increasingly tops itself from start to finish. In a way, it’s a return to the more gag-based approach of Parabellum. An extensive fight in a restaurant featuring smashing plates goes on to a comical length, while the use of flamethrowers and grenades in later action sequences creates a jaw-dropping spectacle that may in fact be the series’ goriest set pieces yet. By the end of Ballerina, people will be craving more of Eve Macarro’s endlessly entertaining, scrappy methods of offense.
This is the best possible scenario for a John Wick spin-off film. The ties to the franchise work; it expands outward rather than complicating what came before. Ana de Armas and the supporting cast are all on their A-game, and the action is satisfyingly addictive to watch. Even if there weren’t more movies down the line, Ballerina would have ardent defenders begging for a follow-up. Thankfully, this marks the beginning of a new era in Hollywood’s current greatest action franchise. Ballerina is the action movie to beat this summer.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits theaters on June 6!
Release Date: June 6, 2025.
Directed by Len Wiseman.
Written by Shay Hatten.
Based on characters created by Derek Kolstad.
Produced by Chad Stahelski, Erica Lee, & Basil Iwanyk.
Executive Producers: Louise Rosner, Kaley Smalley Romo, & Kevan Van Thompson.
Main Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Bernhardt, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Choi Soo-young, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Jung Doo-hong, & David Castañeda.
Cinematographer: Romain Lacourbas.
Composers: Tyler Bates & Joel J. Richard.
Production Companies: Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Films, & 87eleven Action Design.
Distributor: Lionsgate.
Runtime: 125 minutes.
Rated R.
