I hope Gabriel Byrne likes ballet because he’s the latest actor to join Ana de Armas for the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina. At the start, Ballerina was a twinkle in the eye of John Wick fans worldwide. No one ever imagined the project would explode into a full-on spinoff starring some of Hollywood’s greatest players. Famous for starring in The Usual Suspects, Miller’s Crossing, Hereditary, Cool World, and much more, Byrne is a seasoned film industry vet who brings charisma and gravitas to every role.
Byrne is one of many stars joining Ana de Armas for the film, including Keanu Reeves (John Wick, The Matrix), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead, Boondock Saints), Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family, The Witches), Ian McShane (Deadwood, American Gods), Lance Reddick (Resident Evil, White House Down), and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace, A Most Violent Year).
Len Wiseman (Underworld, Total Recall) directs from a script by Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead, Day Shift). Ballerina focuses on a young woman (Ana de Armas) with killer skills who sets out for revenge when assassins kill her family. You know, that old chestnut.
Last month, Ballerina producer Erica Lee told The Hollywood Reporter, “The idea of Ballerina was formed around the scenes with Anjelica in John Wick 3. Anjelica Huston is an icon and is nothing less than Hollywood royalty. The world of Wick is always made richer by her commanding screen presence.”
Ballerina isn’t the only John Wick-related project in the works, as a younger version of Ian McShane’s character will also be featured in The Continental, a three-night special-event TV series that will explore “the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, a centerpiece of the John Wick universe, through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.”
Meanwhile, John Wick: Chapter 4 will debut in theaters on March 24, 2023. It’s a great time to be a John Wick fan. Enjoy the ride, folks!