Lionsgate has unleashed a new trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, giving fans a deeper look at Ana de Armas as she steps into the stylized action universe that Keanu Reeves has dominated for over a decade now.
Set to a dark trailer remix of Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch,” the new footage opens with a monologue about a kikimora spirit from Slavic mythology – a vengeful entity that punishes those with darkness in their hearts while protecting the innocent.
This mythological setup cleverly positions de Armas’ character Eve as this avenging spirit, as we see her wreaking havoc in nightclubs and taking down baddies with the franchise’s signature choreographed brutality.
The spin-off takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, following Eve’s quest to hunt down those responsible for her father’s murder, with her only lead being a mysterious tattoo.
Franchise regulars Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick return as Winston Scott and Charon, respectively, guiding Eve through the shadowy world of assassins and the Continental Hotel.
Like all the other films in the franchise, Ballerina doesn’t hold back on action. We get to see Eve deploying grenades, wielding flamethrowers, and engaging in the kind of precisely choreographed gun-fu that made the original films so distinctive.
What will lure most fans to the film, though, is the tease of an inevitable showdown between Eve and John Wick himself, though those who saw the previous trailer know this conflict likely resolves into collaboration.
Ballerina has traveled a long and winding road to the big screen since its announcement in 2019. Originally an unrelated spec script by Shay Hatten, Lionsgate acquired and reworked it to fit within the John Wick universe.
Director Len Wiseman first shot the film in late 2022, but COVID delays and industry strikes pushed the release, with major reshoots last year, partially overseen by franchise director Chad Stahelski.
For Lionsgate, Ballerina is a crucial expansion of their most lucrative franchise beyond Keanu Reeves. Following The Continental prequel series on Peacock last year, this film could establish de Armas as an action hero capable of headlining her own branch of the universe.
This could potentially create new storytelling opportunities alongside other planned expansions, including Under the High Table, a Donnie Yen-centered spinoff, and even a rumored animated project.
Ballerina‘s full cast includes Norman Reedus, Gabriel Byrne, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and Anjelica Huston, who reprises her role as the head of the ballerina assassin program first introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will open in theaters on June 6.
