John Wick: Chapter 4 and Ballerina screenwriter Shay Hatten teases how the spin-off film will reveal new pieces of John Wick's origin while exploring a new character's perspective. Ballerina will follow Rooney, the ballerina assassin from John Wick: Chapter 3, as she hunts down her family's killers. Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman and will star Ana de Armas as Rooney. Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston will reprise their roles.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about John Wick: Chapter 4, Hatten also discussed his spin-off film, Ballerina. He explained how the movie is set up in John Wick: Chapter 3, and how it will explore a new character who shares similar origins to Wick. Check out Hatten's breakdown of Ballerina and how it ties into Wick's history.
Ballerina has just been a completely fascinating journey for me overall because it started as a spec that was not related to the John Wick movies six years ago. And then just kind of got brought in and then Chad was kind enough to let us kind of set it up in three by showing the ballet theater. And by nature of that, it kind of teed up this story really well. But it's really cool because that story [wasn't] attached to the John Wick universe; it was set in a different part of the world.
The original script was set into Swiss Alps, which is territory that the John Wick movies have not touched. So, I think in a great way, it meant that we could kind of stick to the original story of that script from Ballerina without stepping on the toes of John Wick. But also it's a character who we know went to the same ballet academy as John. I think in Ballerina you'll get to see some of the hints of what John experienced during his origins in that place, but through the eyes of a different character. It still solves some of the answers of Wick, just through the eyes of a new character.
Ballerina's Protagonist Will Flesh Out John Wick's Origins From A New Perspective
The world of John Wick is ingrained into the anatomy of Ballerina, especially with John Wick: Chapter 3 actors reprising their roles. However, taking center stage is a new character, Rooney, with her own thirst for revenge. Unlike Wick, who is a veteran of this world, Rooney is a part of the ballet academy and likely still training to be an assassin and honing her skills. The academy itself, Rooney's training, and the involvement of The Director will offer unique insight into Wick's own training, but from a completely different perspective.
Ballerina is set between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4, which means that while it will provide insight into his training as an assassin, it will also explore some of the consequences of his actions between the two films. Notably, the return of The Director, who was punished for helping Wick, could cause tension between the pair. Because this is Rooney's story, Wick will be presented from her point of view, which could be impacted by The Director's opinions.
The world of John Wick grows more intriguing and complicated with every installment, but Ballerina could answer questions that have long plagued fans. This will be the first movie to explore a perspective other than Wick's, and while he will still make an appearance, this isn't his story. Ballerina can balance touching on Wick's history while still opening the door to new characters, stories, and corners of the John Wick universe.
