From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is an action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten. It is a spin-off and the fifth film in the John Wick franchise. Starring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina-assassin previously portrayed by Unity Phelan in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves reprising their roles Winston Scott and John Wick from previous films.
Synopsis[]
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Ballerina follows Eve Macarro who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
Plot[]
Eve Macarro is the daughter of two assassins, Javier and his unnamed wife. Javier and Eve live in isolation after he betrayed the Cult that his wife belonged to, leading to the deaths of Eve's mother and older sister. Javier manages to fend off an attack by the Cult, led by the Chancellor, but he is mortally wounded and Eve is left alone. She is taken in by New York Continental owner Winston Scott and brought to be recruited by the Ruska Roma, which her father was affiliated with.
Over the next twelve years, Eve is trained as a ballerina and a Kikimora assassin under the watchful eye of the Director. She successfully protects her first ward, heiress Katla Park, and later carries out several successful contracts. After killing a target, Eve manages to take out an assassin that she identifies as part of the Cult. She asks information from the Director about the Cult, intending to take revenge for her father's death. The Director warns her that the Cult does not abide by the rules and practices that many organizations like the Ruska Roma follow, and she warns Eve not to pursue them as the Ruska Roma and the Cult have made a prior truce.
Eve reunites with Winston, where he informs one cult member, Daniel Pine, had checked in the Prague Continental with a large bounty on his head. Eve goes to Prague where she discovers several Cult members, led by the Chancellor's right-hand woman Lena, waiting to make a move on Pine. Eve discovers Pine is there to escape from the Cult with his daughter Ella. Eve helps Pine fend off the Cult assassins after Lena ups his bounty, but Ella is taken while Pine is heavily wounded. After the Continental's staff takes out the cultists, Eve asks for help from arms dealer Frank, who directs her towards Hallstatt, where the Cult is based in.
Eve enters Hallstatt where she quickly discovers that all the townspeople have been indoctrinated in the Cult as assassins. She is eventually captured, where she is brought to the Chancellor, who discovers her Ruska Roma affiliation. He reveals that Pine was his son that betrayed the Cult and Ella his granddaughter. Eve shares her story to the Chancellor, who realizes he was her father's killer and reveals that Lena is Eve's older sister who was alive all this time. Eve escapes with Lena, and Lena reveals that their father escaped with only Eve as their father feared Lena had already been indoctrinated. Fearing Lena's betrayal, the Chancellor orders his men to attack with grenades, which kill Lena while Eve escapes.
The Chancellor calls the Director to confront her about Eve's actions ending their truce, despite the Director sharing that Eve had gone rogue. The Director offers to send John Wick to take out Eve as a compromise which the Chancellor accepts. Wick arrives at Hallstatt where he finds and fights Eve. Eve pleas with him for her to let her go so she can enact her revenge. Empathizing with her, Wick spares her and gives her until midnight to kill the Chancellor or else he will continue his contract. Eve continues her fight across Hallstatt, and Wick also fends off the cultists after his betrayal is found out. The Chancellor attempts to escape with Ella, but Eve corners him. The Chancellor attempts to recruit her as she is part of the Cult's lineage through her mother, but Eve kills him and rescues Ella. Wick informs the Director of the Chancellor's death, and she is relieved at the prevented war.
Ella is reunited with a recovering Pine at the New York Continental. Eve, now incommunicado from defying the Director's orders, watches her former roommate Tatiana's performance before escaping after finding that a bounty has been placed on her.
Cast[]
- Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro
- Victoria Comte as Young Eve Macarro
- Ian McShane as Winston Scott
- Keanu Reeves as John Wick
- Lance Reddick as Charon
- Anjelica Huston as The Director
- Catalina Sandino Moreno as Lena Macarro
- Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine
- Ava McCarthy as Ella Pine
- Gabriel Byrne as The Chancellor
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Nogi
- David Castañeda as Javier Macarro
- Choi Soo-young as Katla Park
- Robert Maaser as Dex
- Jung Doo-hong as Il Seong
- Waris Ahluwalia as The Eye
- Abraham Popoola as Frank
- Juliet Doherty as Tatiana
- Marc Cram as Prague Manager
- Rila Fukushima as Petra
- Jackson Spidell as Mikel
- Magdalena Sittova as Agnetha the Waitress
- Daniel Bernhardt as Scarred Eye Assassin
- Tracie Bennett as Muriel
- Zac Ladkin as Garner
Production[]
Development[]
In July 2017, Lionsgate Films acquired Shay Hatten's action thriller Ballerina, with Thunder Road Films producing the film with Hatten rewriting the script to be a part of the John Wick franchise, with the title character, Rooney, ultimately being written into the third main film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in a cameo role ahead of the production of Ballerina, portrayed by Unity Phelan. By October 2019, Len Wiseman was hired to direct the film. In May 2020, Stahelski stated that Wiseman had read the script earlier, and approached the studio with a pitch of how he would develop the project, based on Hatten's draft, for which the proof of concept had previously been uploaded to YouTube in September 2017. Stahelski met with Wiseman, and approached executives to hire the filmmaker. He confirmed that he and his team will work closely with Wiseman on the action sequences and stunts for the film, while acknowledging that Wiseman's filmmaking style will add variety to the franchise. At that point, Wiseman and Hatten were working on a newer draft of the script. By April 2022, the film was officially announced by Lionsgate.
In July 2022, de Armas revealed that she had personally selected Emerald Fennell to contribute to the script as one of its writers.
Casting[]
In May 2020, it was reported that the studio is looking for an actress to star in the film, with Chloë Grace Moretz as the template for the kind of talent they are looking for. By October 2021, Ana de Armas entered negotiations to portray the titular character, a ballerina-assassin named Rooney, replacing Unity Phelan, who previously portrayed the character in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. By April 2022 at CinemaCon, Lionsgate officially announced that de Armas will star in the lead role. In November 2022, it was announced that Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston had joined the cast and will reprise their roles from previous films of the franchise; as Jardani Jovonovich / John Wick, Winston Scott, Charon, and "the Director", respectively. In December 2022, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, and Catalina Sandino Moreno joined the supporting cast in unnamed roles.
Filming[]
Principal photography was initially scheduled to commence in summer 2022. Filming officially began rolling on November 7, 2022, in Prague. Certain scenes were shot around Moravia. Principal photography finished on February 5, 2023.
Additional action sequences started being filmed in late February 2024 under the supervision of Chad Stahelski until late April 2024. Seemingly, Chad Stahelski supervised two to three months of reshoots, refilming the majority of the film, with Wisemen not present on set.
Music[]
By September 2024, Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard had composed the soundtrack for the film. Originally, Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich were composing the soundtrack after being hired by April 2023.
Release[]
Ballerina was released in the United States on June 6, 2025, after being delayed a year from its originally announced date of June 7, 2024.
Home Media[]
Ballerina was digitally released on July 1, 2025.
Marketing[]
At the 2024 CinemaCon convention, a short teaser featuring Eve, Winston, Charon and Wick revealed to the audience behind closed doors.
Sequel[]
In March 2023, producer Erica Lee had claimed that the studio has unsettled plans to develop a sequel starring Ana de Armas.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Posters[]
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This is the third film featuring stars Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas.
- At the John Wick Panel at CCXP22, star Keanu Reeves announced this film Ballerina will take place between John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4.
- This was Lance Reddick's final appearance as Charon, and overall final on-screen appearance released posthumously.
- Originally. John Wick Presents: Ballerina had a concrete release date of June 6, 2024, but the release date was changed in February 2024 to film newer scenes and allow further improvements on the film. According to Ian McShane, the film has to go under "new shoots", a move to protect the franchise. Chad Stahelski is also now involved with the project to make it superior than what director Len Wiseman had envisioned before.
- On September 25, 2024 a teaser trailer revealing From the World of John Wick: Ballerina's official trailer release date was revealed through the teaser trailer.
- On September 26, 2024, the official trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina was released.
- On March 2, 2025, a special look trailer had released for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, on the day of the Oscars.
- On March 18, 2025, a countdown launch trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina had been initiated.
- On March 19, 2025, another trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina had been released.
- On May 13, 2025, the final trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina had been released.
- On July 1, 2025, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina had been released digitally.