After months of speculation, at CinemaCon 2022, Lionsgate revealed that actress Ana de Armas has been cast as the lead in the John Wick spin-off Ballerina.
Deadline reported Lionsgate tapped Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) to direct Ballerina. The John Wick film will focus “on a young female assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family,” and is based on a character we briefly saw in the third John Wick film. It’s not clear who that is, but as Deadline notes, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum lists Unity Phelan in the role credits as “Ballerina.”
Phelan is a trained New York City ballet dancer who was seen performing for Angelica Huston’s Director, but we don’t know for certain if Phelan will return alongside Armas in any capacity. Shay Hatten, who also penned John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, will write the script for Ballerina.
I thought Ana did a phenomenal job in her brief, but scene-steaking scene as a Cuban spy in No Time to Die, so I’m not surprised she nabbed this major action role.
In fact, I had heard Ana was in negotiations for the part around the time the final Bond film was released, so as someone who loves the John Wick films and the world building, I’m really hyped for Ballerina.
Ballerina starts shooting this summer.