Stunt Coordinator Stephen Dunlevy explains how the action sequences in Ballerina will differ from the John Wick films. The world of John Wick is expanding beyond the titular character's revenge story with a spin-off movie, Ballerina, and an upcoming spin-off series, The Continental. Ballerina will explore the perspective of a new character, played by Ana de Armas, who is training at the same ballet academy that John Wick trained at to become an assassin.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for John Wick: Chapter 4, Dunlevy teased a different style of action in Ballerina. He broke down how the characters influence the fighting style with Wick being a seasoned cooperative while de Armas' character is still learning. Check out what Dunlevy had to say below:
Stephen Dunlevy: You're dealing with John Wick, with Keanu, that character. You're dealing with a kind of grizzled, older combat veteran. He's seen it all; done at all. So, he has a more refined style. Everything he does is [because] he's survived it.
With Ana's character in Ballerina, what you're seeing is a younger, more rookie-ish assassin that's coming through. She's going to make mistakes, and she's going to learn. Part of the amazing thing with those characters is the ability to adapt to the surroundings and to use weapons that are everyday objects and things like that.
What you're going to see [is] her learning to adapt to her surroundings and her environments. And seeing, basically, where that training came from. John Wick has survived so long because of the foundation of training they've got, so you're going to see her make mistakes and adapt and survive.
What We Know About Rooney's Journey In Ballerina
Ballerina will be the first movie in the John Wick franchise to explore this world from the perspective of a different character. Diving into the John Wick world as an assassin in training instead of someone trying to escape the life will introduce new aspects of the John Wick universe while also revealing elements of John Wick's own backstory through a new character's story. Ballerina is reportedly another revenge-focused story, but this time de Armas' character is hunting down the people who killed her family.
Although he isn't the lead, John Wick is returning in Ballerina along with a number of fan favorites, including The Director, who was injured in retaliation after she helped John Wick in Parabellum. Ballerina has an opportunity to not only touch on John Wick's history but also key into how other characters in this world see the Baba Yaga. De Armas' character may be understandably weary of the famed assassin given his reputation and how his actions impact The Director. She may also be inspired by his commitment to seeing through his need for revenge.
While there are four John Wick movies, there are still countless questions about John Wick and this world that Ballerina will hopefully shed some light on. Ballerina can offer new insight into the early days of an assassin in this world, including how they are trained and potentially how they are recruited. The action sequences and fighting styles will be instrumental in setting these characters apart, demonstrating where they each are in their journeys and the differences in who they are as characters.
