Latest news with #FromTheWorldOfJohnWick:Ballerina
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Film of the Week: 'From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina'
After four Keanu Reeves-starring John Wick films, now comes the inevitable spin-off to milk the franchise for all it's worth, following the dire spin-off series titled The Continental. Ballerina – or to give it its full title From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina - stars Ana de Armas and is set between the events John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. And before toxic fanboys referring to this newest addition to the franchise as 'John Chick' have an aneurism and moan about how the series can't possibly survive without Reeves, fear not: the Baba Yaga is also back. Briefly. And it's almost a shame, as de Armas is a force to be reckoned with here. Not that this comes as a surprise. Her scene-stealing appearance as Paloma in 2021's No Time To Die might as well have been an audition tape for Ballerina, as the actress can handle action sequences with aplomb and delivers the goods four years later. She plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin with the Ruska Roma, who defies her orders and sets out to seek revenge on those who murdered her father (David Castañeda). Her quest takes her to the New York Continental (featuring a brief but very welcome cameo from the late Lance Reddick), and later to an Austrian village (almost exclusively populated by assassins) to complete her collision course with The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Plot-wise, that's about as far as it goes, as Shay Hatten's wafer-thin script is this adventure's pitfall. Lines like 'a bullet is not good or evil' grate and subplots are forgotten about before they've even begun, leading to quality performers being criminally underused. Catalina Sandino Moreno, playing the enigmatic Lena, and Norman Reedus as the shady Daniel Pine suffer the most. Add an exposition-heavy first act which drags its feet, and there should be every reason to dismiss Ballerina as nothing more than a cynical cash-grab. However, for all its many pitfalls, Ballerina picks up in the second half and delivers a broadly enjoyable romp. It works best when it streamlines proceedings and does away with the overwrought and increasingly contrived lore that gradually plagued the previous John Wick movies. By eventually settling for Ana de Armas gun-fuing, punching and blasting everything and everyone that gets in her way, audiences can (finally) start to have some fun. There are rumblings that this second half pick-up has to do with rumoured reshoots. Ballerina had a troubled production, with franchise mastermind Chad Stahelski apparently having to step in and take the reins from director Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free Or Die Hard). There's no doubt about who the superior filmmaker is, and which one has a keener eye for kinetic action... Thanks to the satisfying simplicity of the second half – which recalls the familiar slickness of John Wick's choreography – Ballerina gets better, with two sequences involving hand grenades being lobbed about after a meeting is rudely interrupted and a flamethrower face-off standing out. It's in these moments that de Armas' character has to adapt to her environments and show her scrappy resourcefulness. In doing so, you truly get to appreciate how the much the actress had to give it socks, as she did many of the stunts herself. Add the fact that the character of Eve is fiery - especially compared to the ice-cold stoicism of John Wick - and the ultra-violent proceedings often feel more visceral. So much so that when the boogeyman does show up for an extended cameo, you won't care all that much. As flawed and overlong as it is, Ana de Armas' performance and her commitment to the action in the film's second half elevates Ballerina to a worthy entry in the John Wick canon. It's not up there with other female-led assassin movies like Nikita, The Long Kiss Goodnight or Hanna, but it crosses the finish line as an unabashedly trashy spin-off that makes you hope this assassin will get to dance again. Ballerina is in cinemas now.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Ana de Armas interview: Ballerina, John Wick spinoff and screaming for action scenes
Actress Ana de Armas had to scream before she could kill in John Wick movie spin-off Ballerina SINGAPORE – Actress Ana de Armas was making all the right moves when it came to the fight scenes in the movie From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, but something was missing. 'I would do the stunts, but it felt too choreographed. The stunt team said, 'Come on, you have to start getting into character, to feel her rage and passion,'' she tells The Straits Times in a Zoom interview. The team offered a suggestion: screaming. 'They taught me how to scream myself ready. We screamed at one another . It became my way to get in the right mindset. The energy would wake me up in the morning, or at 3am, when we were shooting at night. I would just start jumping up and down and screaming, to get the blood flowing,' says de Armas, 37. Once the crew members heard her screams, they readied the cameras. The vocal exercise worked. Viewers will see the Cuban-Spanish star punching, shooting and throwing grenades in From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, which opens in Singapore cinemas on June 5. She is no stranger to action movies, having appeared in the Netflix thriller The Gray Man (2022) and the James Bond film No Time To Die (2021). As its full title suggests, Ballerina is set in the assassin-filled fantasy universe made popular through the John Wick films (2014 to 2023). This is the first movie spin- off after four films in the franchise, with a story set in the period between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). De Armas plays Eve Macarro, daughter of Javier (David Castaneda), a hitman murdered by a highly secretive cult led by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental Hotel – a haven for hired killers – takes the child (Victoria Comte, who plays the younger version of the character) under his wing. He sends her to the Ruska Roma, a ballet academy run by the Director (Anjelica Huston). The Director's aim: to mould students into adults who are as good at killing as they are in dance. Years later, Eve sets out on a mission of vengeance. Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. PHOTO: MURRAY CLOSE As the lead character in Ballerina, de Armas says there were two duties on her shoulders: to be strong enough to perform the big fight scenes and achieve that strength safely. 'Everything I've done before has been a step towards getting to this place. With each movie, the complexity of the action increased. 'But the challenge in Ballerina had no comparison with anything I've done before. The training was three to four months, every day, many hours a day – combat training, handling weapons. There was a level of commitment and discipline I didn't know before. All of a sudden, I was training like an athlete,' she says. But she had to listen to her body and learn to not push it too far. She would not only be harming herself, but she would also be putting everyone else's job at risk. 'I had to take care of my body – nutrition, diet, self-care, therapy, chiropractors, all kinds of people taking care of my body. Because if I get injured or something happens, the movie stops for a week or two and we can't afford that. I had to be so committed to the project and to what I had to do to be able to provide for the whole crew,' she says. Ana de Armas as Eve and Keanu Reeves as John Wick in Ballerina. PHOTO: LIONSGATE Keanu Reeves, as the gifted titular assassin John Wick, appears in Ballerina in a pivotal role. It is not de Armas' first collaboration with the 60-year-old Canadian actor. Her career began in Spain and Cuba, before she moved to Hollywood in her mid-20s. One of her first English-speaking roles was in the psychosexual thriller Knock Knock (2015), playing one of two stranded women who terrorise Reeves' character in his own home. She was then not yet fluent in English and had memorised the dialogue phonetically. She would, however, be fluent by the time she was cast in films like science-fiction epic Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and mystery thriller Knives Out (2019), and took the title role in the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde (2022), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. It felt good to be reunited with Reeves on Ballerina 10 years later, de Armas says. This time, however, she was not only more mature, but her grasp of English also helped her to understand him better, allowing him to be more relaxed and natural as an actor, she says. Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas at the From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina global premiere in London on May 22. PHOTO: REUTERS 'I loved working with Keanu on Ballerina. I have so much respect and admiration for him as a person and actor. I was already a big fan of the John Wick movies. Being back on set with him, I could tell he was more comfortable in Ballerina than he was in Knock Knock. It was a beautiful full circle for both of us to reconnect, because so much has changed in our lives since then,' she says. American actor Norman Reedus, speaking to ST in a separate online interview, talked about his role as Daniel Pine, the estranged son of the Chancellor. Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine in Ballerina. PHOTO: LARRY D. HORRICKS FOR LIONSGATE 'Daniel's child became a target because of who his family is. Now, he's willing to fight everyone – not just his father, but also endless levels of assassins – to protect his child's innocence. 'When Eve arrives, he's suspicious at first. But since she's not shooting, he realises she might be able to help. Eve becomes an angel, an unexpected salvation when he's cornered and desperate to protect his child,' says Reedus, 56. Reedus got his breakthrough playing survivor-protagonist Daryl Dixon on 11 seasons of zombie horror series The Walking Dead (2010 to 2022). He is in two spin-off projects: Ballerina and the series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023 to present). Reedus and Reeves are motorcycle enthusiasts who were out riding in Los Angeles when they first met by accident at a traffic light, as Reedus recounted on talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2024, without specifying the year. They quickly bonded over their shared love of two-wheelers, with Reeves eventually appearing as a guest on the sixth season of the Reedus-hosted motorcycle docuseries Ride With Norman Reedus (2016 to present). He calls Reeves an 'honest person and a good hero'. In real life, the Hollywood superstar is just like the type of hero he tends to portray on screen – the one who never calls attention to himself and wins through quiet determination, says Reedus. Reeves is 'just a guy getting through life... he's doing the work and you root for him. I think people naturally root for Keanu in real life because he's that guy', adds Reedus. American director Len Wiseman, who makes his John Wick debut with Ballerina, received some advice about the franchise from Reeves. Ana de Armas as Eve and director Len Wiseman behind the scenes in Ballerina. PHOTO: LARRY D. HORRICKS FOR LIONSGATE The 52-year-old is best known for his work on the Kate Beckinsale-headlined vampire-werewolf action horror film franchise Underworld (2003 to 2016) and the remake of science-fiction thriller Total Recall (2012). Speaking to ST while seated next to de Armas, he remembers asking Reeves a question. 'I was putting together a shot and asked Keanu, 'Would it be weird if you looked down into this lens for a portion of the dialogue?'' says Wiseman. The actor then offered the director the mantra that has kept the John Wick enterprise going since 2014. 'He said, 'If it's cool, it's not weird.'' From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina opens in Singapore cinemas on June 5. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina
YouTube / May 14, 2025, 10:45AM IST Watch the Official Trailer from English movie 'From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina' starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Norman Reedus. 'From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina' movie is directed by Len Wiseman. To know more about 'From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina' trailer watch the video. Check out the latest English trailers, new movie trailers, trending English movie trailers, and more at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.
Hype Malaysia
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Movie Tea: 'John Wick 5' Plot Revealed; 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' Featurette & BTS Drops
We've all heard of the phrase 'The end of one chapter is the beginning of the next' – or at least some variation of that, and this certainly applies to movies. Here's everything you need to know about upcoming sequels for two major franchises. Grab your popcorn! Keanu Reeves Confirmed For 'John Wick 5,' But Will Move Away From High Table Following the shocking news that 'John Wick' is back for the fifth time, many were rightly confused, as we were well aware that the legendary hitman was put to rest in the previous installment. Fans, however, are still sincerely interested in delving deeper into the world of assassins. This is especially true now that there has been no announcement regarding the plot or the fact that Keanu Reeves was never officially confirmed to return to the title role until now. After weeks of silence, the director of the film, Chad Stahelski, is finally revealing what he has been cooking behind the scenes for this sudden but welcomed sequel. According to the director, the story is a continuation of the saga — everything included in the fourth movie, namely the character's hard-fought peaceful end. Of course, it is confirmed that Keanu will return for the role, which is incredibly weird. In an interview with EMPIRE, Stahelski elaborated on his vision; he acknowledged the character's death and how his story has been wrapped up with a neat little bow. But he went on to say that he wanted to make a movie that is separated from the High Table, without letting go of the key elements that made the franchise so popular. 'The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick,' said Stahelski. 'It's not a continuation with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, 'Holy fuck… I gotta see that.'' Of course, to say that the plot and idea are weird is putting it mildly — we did see John die from his wounds in his quest for freedom. This inadvertently raises more questions than it answers, namely, how does he come back from the dead, and what will he do now? This move also raises some greater concerns for the franchise, as many are worried that this will ruin the gut-wrenching conclusion we witnessed in favour of more cash. Thus, many are hoping that this coming film will not only do the character justice but also all those who have worked on the previous entries as well. Stahelski did address this in his latest response, essentially stating that the death was more metaphorical rather than literal, symbolising more of a rebirth for Wick. What you make of that explanation is up to you. What we are sure isn't metaphorical is the continuation of the 'John Wick' franchise in terms of stories. Focusing more on fan-favourite characters and even new ones such as Donnie Yen's Caine (which is also in the works) and the soon-to-be-released 'From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina', respectively. Stahelski is out there reassuring skeptical fans, but we can only be certain that is the right path for the legendary assassin when we see Wick in action once again on the big screen. 'The Conjuring: The Last Rites' Sets The Franchise's Phase Two After 10 long and terrifying years, Ed and Lorraine Warren are finally closing their doors with the upcoming film 'The Conjuring: Last Rites'. And what better way to get us amped up for the 'darkest chapter' yet than with this newly posted featurette? However, don't be disheartened, horror fans. This movie isn't marking the end of the franchise as a whole; rather, it is simply letting go of the familiar faces that have stuck with us through all the scares in the last decade. If this was the Avengers saga, think of it as the end of Phase One. Of course, saying that each chapter is far worse than the last can only get you so far, a fact that director Michael Chaves is painfully aware of when discussing the film with Entertainment Weekly. As they were developing the storyline for the film, they even landed an 'Avengers: Endgame'-level reunion to cement the fact that this is the end of the line and that they have to go all out. However, thankfully, the filmmaker decided to pivot the story, attacking something far more personal as they delve into the infamous Smurl Haunting. For those who are not familiar with the case, the Smurl haunting is the term used to describe the allegations made by Jack and Janet Smurl of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in the United States, that a demon lived in their home from 1974 to 1989; the notoriety of the case gained both the family and house nationwide media attention. It was alleged that the paranormal activities ranged from loud noises and foul stenches to pushing one of the Smurl daughters down the stairs to even physically and sexually assaulting members of the family. Being their last time together, Vera Farmiga (Lorraine Warren) and Patrick Wilson (Ed Warren) couldn't help but feel emotional about their final installment together, reflecting on how they've grown with the franchise over the previous decade and how it has been a gift to be a part of the film. Patrick himself can't believe that the franchise is over, saying that the franchise 'meant the world' to him. Starring alongside the dynamic duo will be Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, Tilly Walker, Molly Cartwright, Peter Wight, and Kate Fahy. This franchise will be the 9th instalment in the franchise and is the penultimate chapter of the series' phase one, setting the stage up for phase two. Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Screen Rant, EMPIRE
