The upcoming John Wick spinoff film Ballerina has cast The Usual Suspects star Gabriel Byrne to star opposite Ana de Armas. Byrne played the role of Keaton in the classic 1995 whodunit, which won two Oscars, including for Best Original Screenplay. The Irish actor was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for his leading role in the HBO series In Treatment in 2008 and 2009, and the latter year, he won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Drama Series. Most recently, Byrne played Enzo Ferrari in Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend.According to Deadline, Byrne has signed on to star opposite de Armas in the spinoff. He joins an ever-growing list of strong actors confirmed to be part of the film's cast. John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk offered a great deal of praise for Byrne in the Deadline report, saying The Usual Suspects star's mysterious and enigmatic presence has enriched all the films he has performed in over the years, and those qualities make him a great fit in the dark and uncertain John Wick movie universe.
Everything We Know About Ballerina
The announcement of Gabriel Byrne's casting is the latest reason to be excited for de Armas' Ballerina. It had already been confirmed that John Wick stars Keanu Reeves, Lance Riddick, and Ian McShane would appear in the film. Anjelica Huston, a Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner for her performance in the Jack Nicholson-led 1985 film Prizzi's Honor, has also been confirmed to return. Brand-new actors in the series include Norman Reedus and Oscar-nominated Maria Full of Grace star Catalina Sandino Moreno. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4 writer Shay Hatten wrote the script for Ballerina, with Underworld creator Len Wiseman attached to direct.
Ballerina went into production in November, and the seeds of the film's story were planted in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum with the introduction of the Director. Played by Huston, the character ran a school of ruthless ballerinas, and de Armas is expected to be a former student who is far less experienced than Reeves' John Wick. Similar to his original story, de Armas' character is described as being a young assassin seeking revenge against the people who killed her family. The film's lead showed off her ability to pull off action roles with her work on No Time to Die, and she received plenty of praise for her performance in Rian Johnson's Knives Out.
Ballerina is currently in production, which means that additional casting and plot information could continue to trickle down over the coming weeks and months. It's a good time to be a John Wick fan, with the Ballerina spinoff film on the way, a rumored video game being in development with Lionsgate, and a prequel miniseries set to premiere on Peacock in 2023. The John Wick universe has already become a favorite among many crime-thriller fans, and there aren't any signs the franchise will be slowing down any time soon.
Source: Deadline
