The upcoming John Wick spinoff movie starring Ana De Armas won’t have Keanu Reeves‘ assassin in an excellent suit for just a cameo. Co-writer Shay Hatten said that the assassin would be there for a good ‘chunk’ of the movie.
Taking place between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4, Ballerina features the personal journey of Rooney, previously seen in Parabellum. At the time, the role was played by Unity Phelan.
Returning for Ballerina are many of the stars of the John Wick movies cast, which include Ian McShane as Winston Scott, as well as the late Lance Reddick as Charon. Anjelica Huston will also be starring in the movie as The Director.
Although the movie focuses on a different protagonist with her own set of challenges, everything happens in the same world with the same key players in the organization. No other information is available with regard to the story and John Wick spinoff movie except that it is among the last projects that the late Lance Reddick was able to complete as the loyal Charon of The Continental New York. Also, apparently, the decision to have Keanu Reeves’ John Wick in more than a cameo involvement was rather ‘last minute’.
Keanu Reeves Is Still Alive In the John Wick Spinoff Of Ana De Armas
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Collider reports information from writer Shay Hatten who got to share insights into the development of the John Wick spinoff set to premiere in cinemas either spring or summer of 2024. Talking about Ballerina, the writer said:
Ballerina starts by introducing a character who kind of went through some of the same training as John in the ballet academy of Anjelica Huston[‘s character] that we see in the third movie. But then she ends up going to a whole new corner of the world and a new kind of isolated community that really is unlike anything we’ve seen in these previous John Wick movies.
Evidently, perhaps due to the current condition of John Wick, Lionsgate opens the world expansion of the John Wick franchise through a different character’s arc. Realizing they can’t have John Wick forever, even though they are indeed reportedly working on the 5th instalment, it is still a good move to put focus on other characters in the world.
To fortify the connection between Ballerina and John Wick, the company moved to include Keanu Reeves for a larger than a cameo role in the John Wick spinoff movie. Hatten talked about the unique opportunity for the story because of the timeframe between the last two John Wick films:
We got him to be in it for a good chunk. He’s a real character, and it’s not just kind of a one-piece cameo. He’s got… Well, I shouldn’t say too much, but he’s in the movie in a way that I think people are going to be really excited by. And it was cool because it really was… the only reason we set it between three and four was because it felt like there was kind of a cool window of time for John there.
Credit: Lionsgate
Recounting the events from Parabellum, she said:
… he’s been shot off the roof. He’s really kind of beaten up, and then he recuperates in the Bowery King’s basement.
And by the time the fourth movie starts, he’s healed. He’s on a different side of the world.
This was the story opportunity point where she said:
…we just thought, “Okay, how did he get from point A to point B? What happened in that little time window?” So it just seemed like a really kind of natural way to fit him in and have him interact with this other character’s story during that window. So I think it fills in kind of a missing puzzle piece that people will think is interesting, hopefully.
Ana De Armas John Wick Spinoff Has Chunk Of Keanu Reeves
Credit: MGM Studios
READ MORE: John Wick 5 Is On The Table After Chapter 4’s Success
The still growing population of John Wick fans will only add to the also growing appetite for content about the world writer Derek Kolstad began. Kolstad solo wrote the first two movies of John Wick. The third movie Parabellum, the company got him a team of writers to collaborate with. Hatten was already part of that team.
It seems as though the John Wick franchise is one of Lionsgate’s most profitable and popular ones, so it’s no wonder that they are planning spinoff movies and TV shows. By the fourth movie, Kolstad was no longer part of the writing team but is credited as the creator. The company still has him on board to develop what appears to be ‘expansion points’ for the franchise.
Definitely, we have not seen the last of John Wick, and soon enough, we will get to know Rooney better. What do you make of Keanu Reeves appearing in Ballerina as more than just a cameo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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