CinemaCon audiences were the first to watch footage from the Len Wiseman-directed feature “Ballerina,” a spin-off of the long running “John Wick” franchise.
The early-look trailer shows Rooney, a ballerina who trains in an all-female assassin school to learn the skills to slay the killers of her family. She’s described as “the new face of vengeance.”
The trailer features the smoothly shot and ultraviolent action scenes people expect from the “John Wick” films, set against the backdrop of frigid, snowy terrain and coldly-lit basements.
And if you’re worried that Keanu Reeves won’t be in this, fear not. The trailer concludes with de Armas’ character coming face-to-face with Wick himself. She asks him how she can do what he does, to which he simply replies, “It seems you already have.”
It was announced back in February that Chad Stahelski, who oversees the “John Wick” franchise along with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee at Thunder Road, was working closely with Wiseman on the additional action sequences.
“Ballerina” stars Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves. The film is directed by Wiseman, written by Shay Hatten, based on characters created by Derek Kolstad, and produced by Iwanyk, Lee and Stahelski.
De Armas was most recently nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix feature “Blonde.”
The studio also announced during their CinemaCon panel today that they are partnering with Blumhouse on the development and production of a new “Blair Witch Project.” “The Blair Witch Project” is the first film in a multi-picture pact with Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from the Lionsgate library. Blum will team with producer Roy Lee on the new film. Lee previously produced the 2016 film “Blair Witch.”
“Ballerina” hits theaters June 6, 2025.
