Billboard Women in Music 2025
Although John Wick fans can expect a high-octane showdown between the pair, Ana de Armas was excited to connect with her Ballerina co-star Keanu Reeves through words.
A decade after they starred together in Knock Knock (2015), the actress spoke to Deadline at CinemaCon about her “very special” experience working with Reeves on her upcoming film From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, premiering June 6.
“It was amazing to have him on set, honestly. The scene turned out to be longer than we thought it was going to be in the script originally and during rehearsals,” she explained. “And then on set, on the day, we just kept finding things and little moments between them, not just action, but the acting moments and the connection between these two characters and establishing what their relationship is.”
De Armas continued, “And I think in such a short time, we accomplished that very well. It’s a good setup for who these two people are and what’s going to happen with them. So, it was very special just to have that moment with him.”
Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), Ballerina stars De Armas as Eve Macarro, the titular dancer who begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma, setting out to exact revenge for her father’s death.
A trailer released last month shows Eve face off against Reeves’ John Wick in an epic fight sequence. The movie also stars Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus and Ian McShane.
Directed by Wiseman from a script by Shay Hatten and characters by Derek Kolstad, the Thunder Road Films/87eleven feature is produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski.
John Wick (2014) grossed more than $86 million worldwide, with the franchise crossing the $1 billion mark last year with John Wick: Chapter 4.
The franchise will continue with Ballerina. Meanwhile, Donnie Yen is set to reprise his role as the highly skilled, blind assassin Caine in an upcoming Lionsgate film. A prequel anime film is also in development.
In addition to last year’s Peacock prequel limited series The Continental, the sequel series John Wick: Under the High Table is in the works.