John Wick Star Reveals Reshoots In Order To Protect Franchise
If you can’t wait for the next installment of the John Wick franchise to make its way to theaters, we have some bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that Ballerina has had its release date pushed back by a year to June 6 2025 so new action sequences can be added to the film. The good news is that franchise mainstay, Ian McShane, has gone on record saying that the reshoots will make the upcoming spinoff film better than its current iteration, which will ensure that Ballerina will be held to the same high standards that the preceding John Wick films have maintained so far.
Ian McShane Says There’s No Avoiding It
Ian McShane, who portrayed Winston in the previous four John Wick films, didn’t mince words when he appeared on BBC’s The One Show suggesting that reshoots are required to elevate the upcoming spinoff movie and protect the franchise. In its current state, according to McShane, Ballerina will greatly benefit from being reworked.
John Wick: Chapter 4
As we all know, the John Wick franchise has repeatedly one-upped itself with each film since it made its debut back in 2014. John Wick: Chapter 4, which was released this past March, proved that there is still room for the franchise to grow. When you consider the fact that Chapter 4 is the highest grossing installment to date with a total worldwide box office gross of over $440 million, it’s only natural for everybody to have high expectations in regard to John Wick’s future.
The John Wick Director Steps In
Reshoots for Ballerina started this month under the supervision of Chad Stahelski, who directed the first four John Wick films. Stahelski, who is functioning as producer, will be working closely with director Len Wiseman to make sure the reshoots go off without a hitch.
The Continental
McShane also candidly aired his grievances about The Continental, the Peacock miniseries that serves as a prequel to the John Wick Franchise. Citing disappointment over the fact that nobody involved with The Continental consulted himself or Keanu Reeves about its creative direction. But now that Ballerina is getting some extra TLC by going back into production, we can only hope that the franchise will be put back on track and open the door for more future installments.
The Timeline
Though Ballerina is the fifth installment of the John Wick franchise, it will take place on the timeline between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. Centering on Rooney, who was previously portrayed by Unity Phelan in Chapter 3, Ana de Armas will be taking on the lead role of a ballerina assassin who is seeking revenge against the people who murdered her family.
Sequel Already Being Planned?
Not unlike 2014’s John Wick, Ballerina has the potential to become its own lucrative film series, as producer Erica Lee has already previously hinted at a possible sequel starring Ana de Armas. But in order for that to happen, Ballerina has to live up to fan and studio expectations on both the critical and commercial front.
