“There’s A Lot Of One-Takes”: Ballerina’s “Intricate Stunts” Teased By John Wick Spinoff Star

Ballerina star David Castañeda teases the types of action sequences to come in the John Wick spinoff movie. Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as a young female assassin who seeks revenge against those who killed her family. The film, which marks the first John Wick spinoff movie after the release of TV spinoff The Continental last year, will feature the return of Keanu Reeves as Wick, with other supporting cast members including Ian McShane, Norman Reedus, Anjelica Huston, and the late Lance Reddick.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant while on the red carpet for The Umbrella Academy season 4, Castañeda hypes the action and stunt sequences in Ballerina. The actor specifically reveals that audiences can expect some oner sequences, and he assures John Wick fans that the spinoff will deliver when it comes to action. Check out Castañeda’s comment below:

“Oh, man. It’s going to be exactly what you like about John Wick. A lot of fighting; a lot of intricate stunts. There’s a lot of one-takes, I think, but also an incredible amount of craftsmanship. I believe it’s going to be great. At least, the experience was phenomenal.”

Castañeda’s Ballerina Update Is Good News After The Continental

The Upcoming John Wick Spinoff Needs To Succeed

Director Chad Stahelski has been a key ingredient in the success of the John Wick franchise, co-directing the original 2014 movie and helming its three increasingly successful sequels. As a former stuntman, Stahelski evidently knows how to make action look and feel impactful. Stahelski, notably, was not behind the camera for 2023’s The Continental, and that limited series arguably suffered due to his lack of involvement with action that, while entertaining, wasn’t at the same level as anything from the John Wick movies.

Ballerina also doesn’t feature Stahelski as director, but it does seem like he’s been more hands-on with this project than with The Continental. The spinoff movie was originally slated to hit theaters this summer, but it was subsequently pushed to 2025 to reportedly allow Stahelski to work closely with Wiseman on new action sequences. With the John Wick franchise director overseeing these Ballerina action scenes, they will presumably be closer in line with the quality of the mainline series of films.

Ballerina, in many ways, will be the real test regarding whether the franchise can live on without the combination of Stahelski and Reeves after the end of John Wick: Chapter 4. If the film can’t deliver, it will paint a fairly clear picture that the world of John Wick needs Stahelski in the director’s chair in order to work. With Ballerina‘s release date still 10 months away, it may be some time before official footage from the movie is released, showing off the action that is to come.

Ballerina

Ballerina is a spinoff movie set in the universe of John Wick. Ana de Armas will play the titular role, a character who appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum as a child ballerina who was being trained to become an assassin eventually. In Ballerina, the story follows de Armas’ character, who wants revenge on those who murdered her family. 

Director

Len Wiseman

Release Date

June 7, 2024

Studio(s)

Summit Entertainment
, Thunder Road Films
, 87Eleven Productions

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Shay Hatten
, Emerald Fennell

Cast

Ana De Armas
, Anjelica Huston
, Gabriel Byrne
, Lance Reddick
, Catalina Sandino Moreno
, Norman Reedus
, Ian McShane
, Keanu Reeves

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