The Baba Yaga may not be the face of Ballerina, the upcoming spin-off set to expand the John Wick universe, but that doesn’t mean a change in the franchise formula. Quite the opposite, in fact — a special featurette revealed at CCXP 2024 promises plenty of high-octane action to come, with lead star Ana de Armas dismantling her opponents in various ways, from classic firearms and close combat to flamethrowers, even. Heck yeah.
The extended look comes after the official poster reveal ahead of the Brazil-held event, which shows the No Time to Die actress wielding a gun in her left hand and a big tattoo on her back. It spells out “Lux in Tenebris”, the Latin phrase for “light in darkness”, and features prominently in one of the scenes in the video, where familiar faces like Keanu Reeves’ iconic hitman, Ian McShane’s Winston, and Charon, played by the late Lance Reddick, also make an appearance.
Alongside the action-packed set pieces, the featurette also offers behind-the-scenes footage and commentary from the main cast, including series newcomer Norman Reedus. Details about his role remain under wraps, but the Walking Dead star will presumably play a co-leading character.
With Ballerina introducing a new female protagonist, director Len Wiseman is quick to clear up potential misconceptions about her place in the larger John Wick world. “This is not a story about female John Wick. This is the story about Eve coming into it from the very beginning,” said the filmmaker, referring to the name of de Armas’ character.
Set between the events of the third movie and John Wick 4: Chapter 4, the spin-off follows Eve Marcarro, a ballerina and assassin who trains with the Ruska Roma to exact revenge for her father’s murder. It was originally slated for a 2024 release, but was pushed back for franchise creator Chad Stahelski to add more action scenes. It now opens in theatres on 6 June 2025.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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