"It Was Painful": Norman Reedus Teased John Wick Spinoff Ballerina's New Fight Scenes
Ballerina star Norman Reedus teases the fresh battle scenes in John Wick. Filmed by Len Wiseman with Ana de Armas in the lead role, this offshoot of the successful John Wick franchise stars Keanu Reeves. Originally scheduled for 2024, Ballerina's release date was later changed to 2025 earlier this year to allow for reshoots including Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston.
Reedus, whose character in Ballerina is unknown, admits in a new interview with Collider that he only recently returned from shooting extra action scenes for the John Wick Spinoff. The actor says viewers should anticipate an intense ride. See Reedus' complete remark below:
New Action Scenes in Ballerina Expressed Clearly
Apart from the Continental Spinoff program, Ballerina will be the first John Wick endeavor not under direction by Chad Stahelski. Former stuntman Stahelski has been instrumental in realizing the trademark action of the franchise. Following the great success of the highly regarded John Wick: Chapter 4 last year, Stahelski inked a new first-look contract with Lionsgate in early 2024 that grants him creative control over the wider franchise world.
Whether Reeves and Stahelki will get back together for John Wick 5 is yet unknown. According to reports, Stahelski and important Ballerina production key creatives like Wiseman agreed the movie needed some more work. Filming fresh Action Scenes was decided upon in order to make the spinoff as good as it could be. McShane addressed the delay and the reshoots earlier this year, stating that the fresh filming is supposed to "make [the movie] better" and "protect" the bigger John Wick brand.
The Spinning Ballerina
Set inside the universe of John Wick, Ballerina is a spinoff film. The main heroine, Ana de Armas, will be a little dancer who was being educated to be an assassin finally shown in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. The plot in Ballerina centers on de Armas' heroine, seeking retribution on those who killed her family.
The release of the movie excites fans of the franchise since it has a stellar action scene reputation.
The Actionpacked Motion Picture
"It hurts. [ laughter] From Budapest, where we included more battle scenes, I recently returned. I therefore travelled from Japan to Budapest, then back to Japan essentially. It's really intense. Though visually spectacular, well-acted, and cool narrative, it's simply like bang, bang, bang, bang."
Given that the film is being directed by a well-known filmmaker and features such an amazing cast, fans are eager about it.
What Anticipated from the Film
Although Ballerina was pushed back a whole year, it's encouraging that the engaged creatives understand the need of making the film as best as possible. The Continental's evaluations, for instance, were somewhat mixed, and they showcase action that clearly declines from Stahelski's works. Presenting John Wick: Whether the movie will survive without Stahelski as director will be mostly dependent on Ballerina; ideally, the reshoots will show the great action the franchise is renowned for.
Source: Collider
