The action goes into overdrive in ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’

The John Wick franchise has chnaged action cinema forever with it’s dynamic and crteative approach to both narrative and stunt work, along with ushering in one of the most intriguing and stoic characters ever to grace the big screen, the Baba Yaga and hit man extraordianre John Wick, played to magnificence by the great Keanu Reeves.

Now a new chapter of the franchise is set to open up in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, which will chart the journey of a member of the Ruska Roma, Eve “Rooney” Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training to follow in the footsteps of Wick, and whp harbours her own desires for a very personal vengeance. And the first trailer for this all-go action vehicle has arrived and it promises one hell of a ride.

Watch the full trailer for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.

Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, while Wick is in the midst of waging his own private war against the emissaries of the High Table, Eve comes to learn of the man who wiped out her family, The Chancellor (), and plots her own mission of revenge against him. Director Len Wiseman (Underworld) is using the framing of the ‘origin’ story to bring Eve’s story to life and is pulling together different threads from the expanded universe of John Wick into Ballerina to make this a lively and engaging piece of cinema.

Set to a hype-up rendition of Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’, a fitting track, we might add, this first trailer for Ballerina promises a rush of action, and it’s clear that Ana de Armas was put through the school of 87Eleven. Equipped with skills in gunplay, edged blade combat, BJJ and Sambo, and just general kick-assery, de Armas’ Eve is transformed into a lethal weapon and takes on a new section of the High Table in her own personal war of attrition. The teaser trailer gives a fantastic overview of the action to come, and one of the clear highlights is a full-on flamethrower vs water cannon fight in a Siberian wasteland.

Set amidst the pulsating action of the first teaser trailer are some fantastic character moments, and this first look gives us an expanded look at the cast of characters, both old and new. Taking a vested interest in the actions of de Armas’ Eve are the manager of the New York Continental Winston Scott (Ian McShane) and his loyal concierge Charon (the late great Lance Riddick in his final screen performance). The teaser trailer also introduces audiences to Norman Reedus’ mysterious Pine, a dangerous new entrant to the world of John Wick, and who has a personal connection to Eve.

But the big set-up of this new teaser trailer is seeing the return of the Baba Yaga himself, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), who is undergoing his own personal mission of revenge and who offers Eve a path to follow and a mentor to look up to. And it’s fantastic to see Keanu back up on the screen as Wick. While there’s no mention in the trailer of whether or not we’ll get to see Wick behind the gun again, it’s pretty daring to see him back up on the screen, and any time we see Keanu Reeves, we have to applaud.

Brace yourself for a bold and brutal new action watch when From the World of John Wick: Ballerina arrives in cinemas next year on June 5, 2025.

Image: StudioCanal