Ballerina brings us a distinctly more graceful entry into the world of John Wick when it opens in theaters in June, and fans are undoubtedly keen to see Ana de Armas step into the assassin-filled universe as Eve Macarro. While the spin-off film looks like it will provide plenty of the high-octane action and intricate choreography that made the John Wick series iconic, de Armas is making it clear that her character isn’t just a female version of Keanu Reeves’ Baba Yaga. Alongside de Armas and Reeves, the cast of Ballerina also features Ian McShane (American Gods), Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon), Catalina Sandino Moreno (From), Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary), David Castañeda (The Umbrella Academy), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Dune: Part One), Anne Parillaud (Nikita), and the late Lance Reddick (Bosch).
In an interview with Collider’s Erick Massoto during CCXP in Brazil earlier this month, de Armas opened up on how she approached the action sequences in Ballerina, trying to balance the franchise's established style of bone-crunching action with her character's identity as a newcomer to the franchise but as someone who has their own story to tell.
"I think there are some trademarks in the style of the fights in John Wick, and things that he does that are very particular to him. But because in this movie we’re seeing through Eve’s eyes the background of that training that John had, and how these assassins and ballerinas, how these people become these assassins, there are some little details that are the same, but Eve Macarro is Eve Macarro. She’s not John Wick."
Ana de Armas' Training for 'Ballerina' Was Tailored to Her Strengths
De Armas elaborated on how the creative team tailored Eve's fighting style to suit both the character's backstory and her own strengths as an actress.
"Through the training process and rehearsals, we kind of built these fights and tailored them to the things that I would do best. I was really good at kicking, and also because I’m a 'ballerina,' I’m supposed to be good at kicking; I was really good at close fights, like with knives and things like that."
For de Armas, developing her character’s unique style was an evolving process. "Little by little, I was trying to get to know myself in this kind of world, and then the stunt team, the professionals, were seeing, also, the best things I could do," she added. "So, we found my own style along the way."
Ballerina is set to premiere in theaters on June 6, 2025. The previous John Wick adventure, John Wick: Chapter 4, is currently available to stream on Starz. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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A young female assassin seeks revenge against the people who killed her family.
Director Len Wiseman
Runtime 89 minutes
Writers Shay Hatten , Derek Kolstad
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English (US) ·