People who are excited about everything the John Wick franchise has to offer just got a thrilling update about Ana de Armas' spinoff, Ballerina. In addition to the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4 and the franchise's spinoff without John Wick, titled The Continental, de Armas' Ballerina film is the latest in the ever-expanding series. Getting Ballerina right is vital for the franchise, considering Keanu Reeves can't be an action hero forever. Age does, in fact, come for everyone. While The Continental may be a genuine prestige television show, the future of the series just might rest upon Ballerina's shoulders.
The project has been kicking around in pre-production since 2017, but things picked up when Ana de Armas officially signed on in 2022. Those who have seen her performances in No Time to Die and The Gray Man know she can certainly pull off an action scene or two. With de Armas being one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, Ballerina is sure to get fast-tracked into theaters as soon as possible. As de Armas explained in a recent update, the Cuban actress has so much clout at the moment that she got to handpick a writer to work on the project.
After interviewing a handful of female writers, de Armas found the person she wanted to collaborate with most: the Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Emerald Fennell. De Armas explained it was essential to have a woman's voice working on the project, and getting a talent like Fennell in the door is a coup of the highest order. Oscar-winning writers don't work on action films all the time. And not all Oscar-winners are as exciting as Emerald Fennell.
Can Ana De Armas' Ballerina Outdo John Wick?
In addition to acting in various projects over the past decade, Fennell has received numerous plaudits for her script work on Killing Eve and Promising Young Woman. Fennell also served as director on Promising Young Woman, which earned very good reviews. Fennell's sharp writing style is precisely what Ballerina needs. If the movie is going to be another assassin revenge story, as is rumored, then Fennell's talent is exactly what the doctor ordered to punch up that kind of plot. Promising Young Woman may be considered controversial or divisive, but it's hard for anyone to say it's poorly written.
Fennell's hiring opens the door for Ballerina to be a more interesting movie than any of the John Wick films. As great as the Keanu Reeves-starring trilogy has been, those films are not exactly known for the most in-depth storytelling. Add some Emerald Fennell flair to the signature John Wick action setpieces and the production team could have a dynamite recipe for success. It isn't hard to imagine a future where Ballerina can beat other John Wick movies at their own game.
With both Ana de Armas and Emerald Fennell on board, everything is looking up for Ballerina. The John Wick spinoff film has some big shoes to fill, but there is no reason to assume that creative pairing can't handle the load. Hiring a woman to write the script was clearly important to de Armas, and getting one with Fennell's unique style is a great fit. Only time will tell if Ballerina can end up outdoing John Wick entirely but so far, it's on the right track.