The upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, could be the start of a whole host of spinoff projects according to writer Shay Hatten. Speaking with Total Film, Hatten teased how Ballerina will begin to open audiences’ eyes to the different pockets that exist within the world of John Wick and expanding on the franchise like never before.
The mysterious, complex, hidden world of John Wick and his fellow assassins has been one of the most intriguing elements of the franchise, and no doubt audiences would love to plunge ever further into the violent depths following the release of Ballerina. Should the first spinoff do well, it certainly sounds like we will be looking down the barrel of a John Wick shared universe soon after.
Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina will take place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4, and stars No Time to Die’s Ana de Armas as the ballerina-assassin named Rooney who was first introduced in the third outing. The spinoff follows the titular Ballerina as she attempts to hunt down the assassins who killed her family.
Before we begin to explore the pockets and grey areas of the John Wick world, we will first delve back into the main saga with John Wick: Chapter 4. The sequel finds Keanu Reeves’ hitman facing off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, forcing old friends into foes. With the price on his head ever-increasing, John Wick: Chapter 4 sees Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Osaka to Berlin.
Despite some initial jitters over how he would top the explosive events of the third chapter, John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski has promised that things will get even more epic as Wick edges ever closer to putting an end to his quest for revenge. “It gets a little scary after the third one. Because now we have a formula that works,” Stahelski explained. “But you have to throw caution to the wind and say, ‘F*ck it, we’re not doing that again.’ So now, on number four, we have multiple storylines. The movie feels different. It feels more epic.”
Assisting with the epic-ness will be It star Bill Skarsgård, who joins the action this time around alongside martial arts legend Donnie Yen. The rest of the cast includes Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu, Lance Reddick as Charon, Scott Adkins as Killa, Clancy Brown as The Harbinger, Shamier Anderson as The Tracker, George Georgiou as The Elder, Rina Sawayama as Akira.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled to be released by Lionsgate on March 24, 2023.
