Pistols at the ready — Ballerina releases on 6th June, further exploring the John Wick universe, this time following Ana de Armas’s Eva on a plot for revenge. It’s familiar territory for any John Wick fan, but it continues to deliver what we’ve grown to expect: high-octane, brutal and creative action — this time with a grenade blasting sequence that will nearly blow you off your seat.
We spoke with director Len Wiseman about bringing the film to life, how it builds on the franchise's explosive core, and THAT grenade-powered scene. We were also joined by Norman Reedus, who is entering the John Wick franchise for the first time — and according to him, potentially not the last...
Here's five things we learnt about the blast-tastic Ballerina in our exclusive interview.
1. Ballerina isn’t a spin-off; it’s a spin-on
Spin-off, sequel, legacy sequel, prequel, these are all words that are thrown around a fair amount when describing the web of films that are spawned every time someone makes something original worth watching.
Well, Ballerina director Len Wiseman has come up with a new term to describe his entry into the John Wick universe... a spin-on. To give him credit, it makes sense, and here's how he explains it:
"I'd say the thing that I wanted to carry the most was the tone, the tone of John Wick, which I really love, and it's very specific to that world. It was very important to me to make sure that everything that we were doing felt within the tone."
"I'm big on tone in a movie, I think it's one of the most important things. The tone, the mythology, the world itself, it's really truly building from the world, and on top of the world, there's — you know, I see it printed — there's a lot of like, 'it's a spin off of John Wick', and that's really misleading."
He went on to add, "It's more of a spin-on, in a sense of that it's building on the world. It's not building off of it. I want to ensure that it feels within that world and also gives the audience something new. What would I want to see if I weren't directing it? And so it will have a familiar feel, tone, and level of action."
Despite building on the world and exploring more of what we already know, Len also spoke about trying to capture the quality of action of we've come to expect from the franchise "I mean, it's such a high bar of action that was incredibly important in terms of what is delivered from the Wick universe. And we absolutely pulled that off in Ballerina. I think the sequences are insane. So there's a balance."
2. Action comes from a single idea
Is it time to get tickets? Yeah. #BallerinaMovie hits theaters June 6. pic.twitter.com/xGzwyrbH6XJune 2, 2025
Continuing to talk his love of action, Wiseman explains that, "I always strive for what we haven't seen. I love action movies, but I love a specific kind of action movie. Anything that is a new idea, I am impressed by, and I love it. I think a good action scene comes from an idea."
A central grenade sequence, which, as a spectacle, few things have matched on the silver screen this year, is a highlight in an already bombastic movie.
"The grenade scene. There is a grittiness to it. It's bold.
"Of course, we've seen grenades in movies, but we thought, what if it was more like a grenade fight, like a snowball fight, but with grenades indoors? And what would that create? And also, Ana's way of fighting is different; it's a little more scrappy and survival-oriented.
"She uses what she can, being clever about it, using the grenades to get through all of those opponents. There's a brutality to the kind of in-the-moment, you know, kind of survival."
3. Pressure? What pressure?
Both Norman Reedus and Wiseman are entering the franchise for the first time, and that brings with it some pressure. But, both of them seemed to enjoy the challenge.
"There's always a bit of pressure," says Reedus. "I think the pressure is a good thing, right? I saw what Ana was doing. I saw how committed she was and how hard she was working every day, and I’ve worked with Len."
"I know how hard he works," Reedus enthuses, "And of course, it's in the John Wick world. There's pressure, but it's exciting, pressure. You know. You just wanna do a good job. Just keep your chin down; you want to focus. You don't want to be the one who messes up one of these."
"I find pressure exciting," adds Wiseman. "It's a good thing. It pushes you to like if you don't feel the pressure. You want the stakes to be high. You want to strive to do the best job."
"Big time," Reedus heartily agrees.
4. A Reedus return?
The fill definitely leaves potential for more of Norman Reedus's character in the future.
He is used sparingly here, but has a lot to offer and a back story that could easily be explored. We asked the pair about Reedus' character returning.
"[Norman] pitches me after every interview," laughs Wiseman. "‘I've got another idea’, he says."
"I have a fork in my hand right now, pointing at him," smiles Reedus. "Yeah, I mean there’s definitely room for [a return]. Fingers crossed. "
Len also reveals that "there's a ton I would like to explore."
"I mean, we were just focused on making this the best movie that it can be. But of course. I love the world. I love what Ana and I created together for this character, and even more so, you just get excited about where this could possibly go, so I'd love for it.
"In terms of John Wick... that's something you'd have to ask Keanu. I have no idea. I would I would love to see it continue. It was a lot of hard work, but it was so much fun."
5. Location, Location, Location
The climax of the film contains some wild moments and big reveals, but for the sake of spoilers, we won't go into that. However, it is set in a snowy environment, a new backdrop for the franchise and a contrast to the other locations we've seen before.
It's now a place of importance for the John Wick films, as the globe-trotting action evolves from film to film.
"We've never really seen a snow environment as a large part of the series," he says.
"I've always seen John Wick as an adventure of locations, these exotic locations with immense scale.
"I think that’s why this is also a movie that you want to see in the theatre, because of the scope, the scale, the locations and introducing new places to the series. I mean, like Hallstatt was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It’s very cold."
6. A crossbow is better than carrying some boxes
Given the opportunity to chat with Reedus, it's hard not to reference his other iconic characters, such as Sam Porter Bridges in the Death Stranding game and Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. Both characters are accustomed to surviving in post-apocalyptic worlds, so they are pretty handy in a jam. However, when asked to compare the two's survival instincts, Norman didn't hesitate with his answer.
"Daryl would do better. Sam just kinda carries stuff," he laughs.
"He carries a lot of stuff!" chuckled Wiseman. "I think you carry more than any character I have ever seen; it’s incredible."
Not that Daryl wouldn't have his moments in the John Wick universe, should a dual-role crossover ever open up.
"I think Daryl would be pretty impressed with this world," says Reedus. "I think he would fit. He’s pretty resourceful. I think he’d get a nice haircut, wear a suit. It would be a whole new world for him."
Though the rough-and-tumble character might be at odds with co-star Ian McShane's fixer, Wiseman suggests.
"I wonder how Ian would deal with Daryl?" asks Wiseman.
"Oh, he would hate him," laughs Reedus. "He would be saying, ‘give him a bath. Give him a bath.’ Poor guy."
Ballerina hits cinemas nationwide 6th June.
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