Producer Erica Lee explains how Ana de Armas' character's journey in Ballerina is the opposite of John Wick's. Ballerina is written by Shay Hatten and tells the story of a young woman training at the same ballet academy that John Wick did in his youth to become an assassin. Similar to John Wick, she is on a mission of revenge, hunting down the people who wiped out her family.

When ****** spoke with Lee about John Wick: Chapter 4, she also shed light on the highly anticipated spin-off film. She breaks down how the story in Ballerina is opposite to the four John Wick films. Lee also teases a very different feel to Ballerina with de Armas in the lead instead of Keanu Reeves.


Ballerina Benefits From The Expansive John Wick Lore


While John Wick has been trying to escape his life as an assassin for the High Table after being pulled back into it, de Arma's character is new to this world and still training at the ballet academy. This will bleed into every aspect of the story, from the fighting style of Ballerina to her motivation and where her journey ultimately takes her. John Wick's final goal is to escape the grasp of the High Table, having been under their thumb for most of his life, while de Armas' is still trying to break into this world which will show every part of this universe in a new way.

While the story and vibe of Ballerina may be different, the John Wick universe immediately gives the film a strong jumping-off point. Audiences know about and are curious about the world of John Wick, and Ballerina is a way to further expand the world while tying it back to Reeves' beloved character. Ballerina will delve into John Wick's origins with the ballet academy from a new perspective, an indirect approach that will shed light on his past while still exploring a new character and perspective.

Reeves was instrumental in deciding where Ballerina fits in the John Wick timeline and making it another way to further expand the John Wick universe. Ballerina can show him through the eyes of a different character, someone new to the world who has only heard legends about the Baba Yaga and his exploits. Ballerina can show a completely different side of the John Wick universe diving into how and why people become a part of this world while still slotting new pieces of the John Wick puzzle into place.