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The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Balletic grace in John Wick spin-off
THE vast John Wick Cinematic Universe is a place where grief is fuel and everyone owns a bulletproof suit and here, Ballerina struts in as a sleek, blood-splattered interquel with surprising elegance. Set between Parabellum and Chapter 4, this spin-off serves not only as connective tissue but also as a vehicle to introduce a fresh, revenge-driven protagonist into the world of coin-flipping, vow-bound assassins. And, yes, she dances. And yes, she kills, often at the same time. Put on your dancing shoes Helmed by Len Wiseman, a director best known for his stylish entries in the Underworld series, the film brings its signature flair to a new kind of assassin: one trained to pirouette before pulling the trigger. While the premise sounds like something cooked up in a fever dream – assassin ballerinas taking on underground cults – the execution (pun very much intended) is grounded in the franchise's distinct visual style and code-of-honour absurdity. It must be said the beginning of Ballerina is a bit of a slow burn. The first act leans heavily on exposition, world-building and wistful flashbacks. For those expecting instant mayhem, the setup may feel like waiting too long for a gun to go off. However, once the shoes are laced and the bullets start flying, the film snaps into place like a well-choreographed fight scene. The pacing issues early on are quickly forgiven thanks to an increasingly engaging plot, stylish kills and one-liner-filled banter from characters both new and familiar. Fans of the franchise will find plenty to geek out over, while newcomers will likely appreciate the sheer audacity of a film that treats pointed shoes like deadly weapons. Armas surprises and slays There was some scepticism when Ana de Armas was announced as the lead in an action-heavy John Wick spin-off. Known for her dramatic roles and subtle emotional range, few expected her to carry a full-blown action flick, much less one that requires both emotional depth and the stamina to survive close-quarters combat in heels. But surprise, surprise: she delivers. De Armas glides through the film's many combat sequences with intensity and physical commitment. Her character's transformation from vengeful trainee to full-blown threat feels earned and her performance never falls into caricature. She holds her own amid seasoned action vets, proving that yes, a ballerina can suplex someone through a table without breaking form. Bombs, ballet and brotherhood Ballerina is, in part, a Trojan horse for a Keanu Reeves appearance. And that is perfectly fine. While the franchise's beloved Baba Yaga does not hog the spotlight, his presence is undeniably a crowd-pleasing highlight. The film smartly uses his character to anchor the story, rather than distract from it. Still, viewers should temper expectations, this is not John Wick 5.5 and the focus never strays far from Eve's own revenge arc. That said, for anyone walking into the cinema thinking 'I just want to see John Wick fight someone again,' rest assured: patience will be rewarded. Beyond the gun-fu and shadowy assassins, Ballerina also dips into themes of legacy, betrayal and identity. While it does not spend too long philosophising (this is not The Godfather), the script does offer moments of emotional clarity amid the chaos. Family ties and buried secrets lend the film a layer of depth, making the action sequences more than just stylish mayhem. Still, the real highlight remains the inventive choreography. From close-quarter knife fights in velvet theatres to shootouts framed like a ballet recital gone terribly wrong, Ballerina injects some much-needed creativity into the modern action genre. It understands what the Wick-verse does best: turn violence into performance art. Watch it for the Wick, stay for the wreckage Ballerina succeeds because it knows what it is. It is not here to rewrite the formula, it is here to dance all over it in blood-soaked tights. De Armas proves herself more than capable in the action arena, the choreography is top-notch and the world-building continues to deepen the Wick lore in ways that feel exciting and absurdly operatic. Yes, the early pacing could have been snappier. Yes, some characters exist purely as cannon fodder. And yes, the entire concept teeters dangerously close to parody at times. But none of that matters when the third act kicks in and Ballerina fully embraces its role as a stylish, standalone thrill ride. Whether you are here for the Keanu cameo or just to watch a ballerina blow up a village of killers, Ballerina delivers. Just remember: do not expect a masterpiece. Expect carnage with class and that is more than enough. The poster teases the stylish spin-off that pirouettes straight into the John Wick universe.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Box Office: John Wick Spinoff ‘Ballerina' Opens to Sluggish $25 Million, ‘Lilo & Stitch' Rules With $32.5 Million
Disney's Lilo & Stitch is dancing circles around From the World of John Wick: Ballerina at the domestic box office. Lilo topped the North American chart for the third consecutive weekend with an estimated $32.5 million from 4,185 theaters after clearing the $300 million milestone on Thursday. Through Sunday, the live-action blockbuster's global haul is an estimated $772.6 million, including $335.8 million domestically and $436.8 million overseas. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Ballerina' Director Len Wiseman Talks Scrapped 'John Wick 3' Connections and the Truth About Additional Photography 'John Wick' Boss Chad Stahelski Gets Candid About Franchise: "My Process Is F***ed" 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina' Review: Ana de Armas Slays in a Hard-Charging Spinoff That Makes for a Mindless Summer Treat Ballerina, the first John Wick spinoff, opened in second place with a softer-than-expected $25 million from 3,409 venues, the lowest start of any title in the series except for the first John Wick in 2014. Ana de Armas plays the title role in the R-rated action pic, with main franchise star Keanu Reeves also making an appearance. Three weeks ago, Ballerina was tracking to open to $35 million or more. Projections were lowered to $30 million-plus heading into the weekend and even further. The good news: Ballerina nabbed an A- CinemaScore and strong audience scores, both on Rotten Tomatoes (94 percent) and PostTrak, so it could regain its step and have long legs. Lionsgate decided to bank big on its John Wick universe after seeing each subsequent film open to bigger numbers, an almost unheard-of feat. That is, until now. Since Ballerina is a spinoff, expectations were always going to be different, but not to this degree. Lionsgate was looking for it to at least match John Wick: Chapter 2's $30.4 million opening in 2017, not adjusted for inflation. So far, Ballerina is playing decidedly male, or 63 percent, according to PostTrak. Lionsgate and Thunder Road Films / 87Eleven Entertainment say they covered a notable chunk of the $90 million production budget with foreign sales. Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Norman Reedus co-star, with Ian McShane and Reeves also turning up. Directed by Len Wiseman from a script from Shay Hatten, Ballerina is based on characters by Derek Kolstad. There's plenty of competition when it comes to male-skewing action fare, led by Paramount and Skydance's Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which, like Lilo & Stitch, is enjoying a strong hold in its third outing (the two event titles opened opened opposite each other over Memorial Day weekend to fuel a record holiday). Final Reckoning, marking Tom Cruise's final turn as spy-with-the-mostest Ethan Hunt, placed third with an estimated $15 million from 3,456 locations for a domestic tally of $149.2 million. Overseas, where it is pulling in even bigger numbers, it earned another $40.7 million for an international haul of $301.2 million and $450.4 million globally. After a softer-than-expected debut last weekend, Sony's Karate Kid: Legends fell off 57 percent or more in its sophomore outing to $8.7 million from 3,859 sites for a muted domestic tally of $35.4 million through Sunday. New Line's Final Destination: Bloodlines, now in its fourth weekend, rounded out the top five with $6.5 million from 3,867 cinemas for a domestic tally of $123.6 million, followed by the nationwide expansion of Wes Anderson's latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, into a total of 1,678 theaters. From Focus Features and Indian Paintbrush, Phoenician Scheme is projecting a $6.3 million weekend for a 10-day cume of $7 million after opening in its first six locations last weekend (it scored the top per-location average of the year to date, of $95,000). A24's horror pic Bring Her back finished in seventh place in its second weekend with an estimated $3.5 million from 2,467 theaters for a domestic cume of $14.1 million, followed by GKIDS' new offering, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye, with $3.1 million from 2,435 cinemas. June 8, 7:35 a.m.: Updated with revised estimates. This story was originally published June 7 at 8:55 a.m. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
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First Post
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
From Knock Knock to Knockout — Ana de Armas reunites with Keanu Reeves in Ballerina
Ana de Armas' rise to the lead role is a powerful story in itself. Born in Cuba, she began her acting career in Spain, starring in Spanish-language films before making her English-language debut alongside Keanu Reeve read more Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina tells the gripping story of Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a highly skilled assassin on a relentless quest for vengeance against those who destroyed her family. Set between the explosive events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, this latest installment expands the franchise's universe with the signature blend of pulse-pounding action, immersive world-building, and jaw-dropping stunts. Ana de Armas' rise to the lead role is a powerful story in itself. Born in Cuba, she began her acting career in Spain, starring in Spanish-language films before making her English-language debut alongside Keanu Reeves in Knock Knock (2015)—a film she shot while still learning English on set. Nearly a decade later, she reunites with Reeves, not as a newcomer, but as a formidable action star in her own right. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Reflecting on their collaboration, Keanu Reeves says, 'She's a wonderful actress, so talented. And that inner strength and motivation, being able to draw that up and to show that in the stillness of the scenes that we had together. She's quite a presence.' Len Wiseman agrees: 'She's perfect for the role in many ways. What I love about this franchise series is that it is more of an actor-based action, and so we see the actors doing more of their own performance and choreography. And she was game with that.' Ana didn't just embrace the role—she dove in headfirst.. From the very beginning, Ana insisted on undergoing intensive combat training and hands-on stunt work, determined to honor the high standards of the John Wick legacy. Her dedication is evident in every frame. Ballerina released in theatres across India on June 13th, presented by PVRINOX Pictures in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. In contrast to the invincible superheroes that dominate the screen, Eve bleeds, fights back, and transforms—making her story all the more human and resonant. With an ever-growing fan base for the John Wick universe in India, Ballerina is poised to become the next big theatrical obsession. As the countdown begins, one thing is certain—the action is just getting started.
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
John Wick spin-off Ballerina sees Ana de Armas take up Keanu Reeves' search for revenge
Having finally laid its haggard hero to rest in 2023's John Wick: Chapter 4 (at least until John Wick 5 presumably picks up in hell), the franchise has now spun off into a new revenge saga led by Ana de Armas's fresh-faced assassin, Eve Macarro. What: A John Wick spin-off featuring a young ballerina-assassin on a quest for revenge Directed by: Len Wiseman Starring: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Norman Reedus, Keanu Reeves Where: In cinemas now Likely to make you feel: Modestly thrilled Ballerina is a film that should've come out last decade — and not just because its bisexual lighting and trite "fight like a girl" sloganeering feels more at home in 2016. Alongside the series' four entries, its tidal wave of imitators (the best being Atomic Blonde, Nobody and Monkey Man) have already served up countless different flavours of Wick, often recapturing the same fluid style (if not the virtuosic choreography) of its genre-redefining action scenes. The idea of a female ballerina assassin has also become an oddly specific trope in recent years, featuring in films like The Villainess, Red Sparrow and Black Widow. (Confusingly, the Wick-inspired Netflix movie Ballerina bucked this trend, with the lead being a former bodyguard.) In fairness, the first John Wick was itself a grab-bag of genre conventions and borrowed archetypes — but it was nonetheless a clean slate. Rather than thread a new path through the assassin underworld of The High Table, Ballerina tunnels deeper into its laborious mythology — to disjointed ends. Eve's tragic backstory is quickly dispatched. As the young daughter of a renegade assassin, she witnesses the execution of her father at the hands of his former tribe, though not before shooting one of the assailants dead. Like Wick before her, she's taken in by the Ruska Roma, a formidable crime syndicate presided over by Anjelica Huston's cigar-chomping Director (previously seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum), who sees in the traumatised orphan the makings of a stone-cold contract killer. The film's prolonged opening stretch traces her years-long training in the cutthroat world of ballet (the front-facing business of the organisation), as well as the comparatively tame art of assassination. There's a brief, entirely perfunctory cameo from Wick, mostly to sync up Ballerina's timeline with his third outing, and to confirm Keanu Reeves' stamp of approval. Eve's graduation ceremony takes the form of one of the series' recurring delights: a shoot-out at an ultra-exclusive club, this one a sub-zero fortress that could easily double as a Mr Freeze hideout. As soon as the EDM kicks in (this time a Vivaldi remix, to class things up) and the firearm acrobatics start — with Eve gracefully launching herself onto henchmen and making judicious use of a decorative pick-axe — any misgivings begin to wane. The film finally begins when the emerging assassin catches wind of the cult that ensnared her dad — and her professional duties take a back seat to her own personal vendetta. Four years ago, de Armas shook up the staid thrills of Daniel Craig's Bond era as a glamorous CIA agent with a deadly high kick in No Time to Die — a performance that even sparked her own Bond casting rumours. As Eve, however, much of her charisma is strangely toned down. The film initially suggests a new type of hero: a fledgling killer in opposition to Wick's feared legend. But it then writes its lead as both inexperienced and jaded, and primarily defines her by her tragic backstory. For a franchise that's leaned heavily on its distinct characters and adroit casting — Halle Berry and Rina Sawayama instantly shone on screen in past instalments — there's little for de Armas, nor any other cast member, to work with. Both Gabriel Byrne (Miller's Crossing) and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) are visibly phoning it in as a fatalistic mastermind and another errant cult member, respectively. At least de Armas acquits herself well with the complex set-pieces, offering a more elegant physicality than Reeves. The action feels much closer to the lower stakes of the first film than the epic high-concept showdowns of its sequels, but director Len Wiseman (the Underworld series) still faithfully replicates the series' tight rhythms. He finds unpredictable, often comic ways to escalate close-quarters scuffles, and knows when to embellish a fight with cartoonish splatter. As always, the creative weaponry offers no shortage of novelty. Drink glasses in the John Wick films solely exist to be smashed over faces. Ice skates slit necks in a pinch. Claymores? Say less. By the time Eve discovers an alpine village populated entirely by assassins (children included) and becomes embroiled in a flamethrower duel, the film never lets up as a rollicking good time. Ballerina was first announced eight years ago, and its creative difficulties, exemplified by its extensive reshoots, are all too apparent. The prior films always had a built-in cheat by making a point of Wick's Sisyphean quest to escape the criminal world, allowing the character to more-or-less end up where each sequel began. But should the cinematic universe of John Wick continue to expand — and de Armas truly does deserve to lead her own action series — it needs new ideas, fast.
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How ‘Ballerina' Set People on Fire
When Chad Stahelski, best known as the driving force behind the 'John Wick' franchise, was in high school he volunteered with his local fire department. Over the years the images from that experience stuck in his head, and the former stuntman started to dream up an action sequence involving lots and lots of fire. 'I'm like, 'Wouldn't it be cool if I combined fire and water, and we had a flamethrower fight?' Stahelski, a producer of 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' said in a video interview. 'Two guys with flamethrowers and they are going to shoot each other.' Watching an early cut of 'Ballerina' he realized he had the ideal vehicle for his fire dreams: It would be a showstopper for the star assassin, Eve, played by Ana de Armas. 'How do I make her look smart? How do I make her look badass? It wasn't about fighting more guys,' he said. 'It's like, OK, let's give her something that really shows a skill set. And that's when we went to fire.' The result is a bravura third-act set piece in which Eve torches her enemies in an Alpine village, going flamethrower to flamethrower with a massive villainous henchman named Dex (Robert Maaser). Instead of using digital flames, 'Ballerina,' directed by Len Wiseman, mostly went for the real thing. According to Stahelski, 90 to 95 percent of the fires onscreen are 'unenhanced real burns.' To accomplish this, Stahelski called in an expert in the world of movie fire, the stuntman Jayson Dumenigo, who developed a long-lasting protective burn gel for stunt performers that recently won him an honor from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even Dumenigo was skeptical they could accomplish what Stahelski had in mind when he first heard the pitch. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
