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The Wild Process of Making the ‘John Wick' Spinoff ‘Ballerina,' Then Making It Again
The Wild Process of Making the ‘John Wick' Spinoff ‘Ballerina,' Then Making It Again

Gizmodo

timea day ago

  • Business
  • Gizmodo

The Wild Process of Making the ‘John Wick' Spinoff ‘Ballerina,' Then Making It Again

You always hear about frustrated filmmakers who didn't have enough time or money to make the movie they wanted to. You rarely, if ever, hear the opposite: a studio giving filmmakers more time and more money to make a movie even better than it already was. But that's what happened with Ballerina, the latest film in the John Wick franchise. Ballerina (which is officially titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) was first set to hit theaters last year. But, after the success of John Wick: Chapter 4 made it clear this was a full-on franchise, the team went back and added more action into the film to make it feel in line with the rest of the series. That meant audiences would have to wait an additional year to see Ana de Armas as the latest killer assassin—but hopefully, it would be worth it. Whether or not it is worth it, you'll find out when it opens Friday. Until then, here's our chat with the film's director, Len Wiseman. Wiseman is well-versed in over-the-top genre action films, having co-created and directed films in the Underworld series. Here though, we spoke about getting to go back to the film with more money and time, what role franchise co-creator Chad Stahelski had in that, what it takes to craft a fully unique Wick-style action scene, and whether or not the reshoots added Keanu Reeves into the film, or if he was there all along. Germain Lussier, io9: So this movie was originally supposed to come out last year, but Lionsgate was so excited about it, they wanted to give you more time to add more action and stuff. Can you take me through that process a bit? What's it like to make a movie and then have a studio be like, 'Oh no, here's more money, do more.' Because I don't feel like that doesn't happen too often. Len Wiseman: I mean, it doesn't happen too often. Of course, it's great. You go, 'Okay, there are sequences that I really wanted to do that we didn't have the ability to do schedule-wise, budget-wise.' And so it was exciting. Also, having a little bit of a break to then regroup with the whole team about mapping out those sequences. Just as a director, it's nice. I think they should do all movies like that. Where you have a good break where you can just focus on now building out other sequences. But no, man, I felt really the support from Lionsgate to say, 'Look, we know this is a first of this character, but we love it. We really believe in it. And let's shoot more.' It's great. It was kind of a gift. io9: What was Chad Stahelski's role in that? Because obviously he's kind of the godfather of this franchise. How did he take what the film was and shape it to what is is? Wiseman: We have a lot of conversations about just the Wick world. The tone of it. And he's one of the most creative action directors and just how his mind works. And one of the [reasons] why I wanted to do Ballerina is because I share that same level of detail and just searching for the cleverness and the wit within the action. I think you can shoot a sequence that has a lot of action in it, but if it doesn't have a clever idea behind it, it's just action. It just goes by, and you go, 'Yeah, this is loud. It's kind of cool. It's entertaining.' But that's where I really respond to what Chad and his team develop at 87Eleven. They search for: what is the cleverness in the choreography? The wit, the kind of fun. It's a level of action where it's so violent and so brutal and you're smiling through it and kind of laughing at it because it's got oddly a charm with the brutality and the violence. io9: And there's so much of that in this movie. So tell me a little bit more about that process. I want to ask specifically about flamethrowers in a second, but what's the process to arrive at a scene where it's a flamethrower fight or we're just going to use grenades? Is that in the script inherently or does it come later with more action meetings? Wiseman: For me, my process, I'm very much in developing what those sequences are. It's something I love to do. I started in props. I was a prop builder. I always have to create and build it and see it. So I'll build those sets in my garage. Like for the grenade sequence, looking at what could be done in a close-quarters grenade fight. We've seen grenades, but what would a grenade fight be like if it was essentially like a snowball fight? How cool would that be? And even using ice skates. It could be cheesy! So I go, I purchase ice skates, get some blood, put the blood on them, shoot it in slow motion. Well, how would it tie onto my hand? How could you really use it? Grab it as these two gauntlets? And I'll shoot these videos and I'll go, 'Okay, that's cool. It looks cool.' And that's different. And then I'll start building a sequence based on that. So for me, if I can, I'll build as much as a proof of concept for myself. It's how I go about it. io9: That's awesome. I love how tactile it is. But obviously you can't do that with flamethrowers. I don't want to spoil too much about the flamethrowers because it's kind of the big finale but how much of that is real and how much of it is CGI? Because it all looks incredible. And I'm sure a lot of it was real because that's kind of the DNA of this franchise. But it's just one of the wildest things I've seen in such a long time. Wiseman: No, it is. It's essentially practical. There were some enhancements that we did in certain areas but it's practical. It's really hot. It's potentially incredibly dangerous. So all the safety measures and everything are extreme. But the same thing there. We have seen flamethrowers here and there in movies [but] I don't think you can name one movie where there is a flamethrower against flamethrower battle, like a gunfight. And that's what I'm always striving for, and why I really liked what Chad has built within this world, is the idea that if it sounds ridiculous, but it's pulled off practically and brutal and feels just as violently entertaining as you can make it, then you've got a sequence that's really cool. I've found if the initial pitch of an idea, like when I pitched the ice skates, I was like, 'Okay, she's going to fight with ice skates on her hands.' That could be really stupid. That could be really stupid. And then so I have to see it and build it. But if you pull it off right, the execution is kind of everything. So if something sounds silly, but it's done well, then you've got something that is, I think that pops. That's unique. io9: Yes, that makes sense. Was Keanu as John Wick always a part of the movie early on or was his role added to or expanded with the additional photography? Wiseman: The additional photography was nothing with Keanu. That was just them doing more action. I shot all of Keanu's stuff on the first leg. It was like eight days or so with Keanu. Was he a part of the project from the very beginning? No. Because we were developing what it would be. It was also, because it's been in the works for a while, I didn't know what happened at the end of John Wick 4. So a lot of what, and I'd had talks with Keanu about, was the timeframe. So he was largely involved in terms of how it fits as a parallel experience to [John Wick: Chapter 3] Parabellum rather than being more of a kind of sequel character. io9: One of the reasons John Wick movies have worked and we love them is because they're real and they're brutal, but they have to have a certain suspension of disbelief. You kind of tiptoe the line of reality. So what is it like making sure that these characters are super heroic, but not superheroes? Wiseman: It's a very good question and it's something that I pay so much attention to. I love action movies. I also think there are certain traps people can fall into. For me, I think you can say 'Over the top,' but I think it's 'Heightened action that feels real.' So I think it's also in the vulnerability. In the pain that you see the actors going through. I think one of the big things that keeps it out of being superhero related is they're getting their asses kicked and you feel the pain. There's no posing after doing an action sequence. It really bugs me if you see a character that does an amazing action sequence and at the end, if they feel like, 'Yeah, I'm kind of a badass,' then I don't think you're a badass. I think you're kind of a tool. You're showing off. And so that's very important too. It's not posey. It's just, even with like watching John Wick, what I really loved about it, I think also inherently with Keanu, after going through this amazing sequence and taking these guys out, there's no show on his face about, 'Yeah, that was cool.' He's just fucking exhausted. On to the next thing, picking up the gun, out of breath. And I think it's endearing in a weird way. And so, I mean, there are a lot of levels. I could go on and on because it's so important to me about tone. The tone of the action, even if it's heightened, if it's heightened, but one, practical, two, what's the performance and what are you seeing your actor go through? See what Ana de Arams, Keanu Reeves, and more go through Friday when Ballerina hits theaters.

Ana De Armas Says European Audiences Differ From American Because ‘They Know About Cinema and They Have Good Taste'
Ana De Armas Says European Audiences Differ From American Because ‘They Know About Cinema and They Have Good Taste'

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

Ana De Armas Says European Audiences Differ From American Because ‘They Know About Cinema and They Have Good Taste'

Ana de Armas knows the difference between European and American moviegoers – 'good taste.' During her 'Hot Ones' interview Thursday, host Sean Evans asked the 'Ballerina' star if she noticed a difference between 'what somebody who buys a movie ticket in Madrid is looking for vs. someone in L.A.' The actress said that American cinema has a greater influence in Europe than European cinema does here, but that with European moviegoers, it comes down to taste. 'The influence of American cinema in Europe is stronger I would say,' de Armas began. 'Europeans like European films I would say. I think Europeans also – or Spanish people – have a pretty wide spectrum of, they know about cinema, and they have good taste.' De Armas appeared on the show to promote her upcoming film 'Ballerina,' an action-forward spinoff set in the 'John Wick' universe. The story takes place concurrent to the events of 'John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum.' The trailer teased that Keanu Reeves, who has played the titular John Wick in four films, will also appear in the feature. According to the official synopsis, the story follows Eve Macarro (de Armas), 'a ballerina-turned-assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma, as she seeks revenge for her father's death. ' 'Ballerina' also stars Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus and Ian McShane. It is directed by Len Wiseman and produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski. The film also posthumously features Lance Reddick in his last screen role. The actor died in 2023 at age 60. 'Ballerina' releases in theaters June 6. The post Ana De Armas Says European Audiences Differ From American Because 'They Know About Cinema and They Have Good Taste' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

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