The John Wick franchise is expanding beyond the Keanu Reeves installments as Lionsgate is already pushing forward with a prequel series The Continential at Starz. They’re also developing a female-led film set in the same world of assassins and previously have hired action director Len Wiseman, known for projects like Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard, and had been attached to helm a sixth Die Hard for 20th Century Studios before the studio was acquired by Disney.
Ballerina seemingly follows a female assassin from John Wick’s Belarusian syndicate that trains orphaned boys and girls to become killers. Her character will track down the people who killed her parents. This world that assassins inhabit is controlled by The High Table, a group of syndicate leaders from across the globe that rule the underworld with an iron fist. The mythology established in the last three movies suggests a very short but lavished life for these hired killers.
It looks like Lionsgate and Len Wiseman have finally found their lead.
Deadline reports that Cuban actress Ana De Armas (Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out) is now in talks with Lionsgate for the main role after recently stealing scenes in No Time To Die and wrapped on the massive spy flick The Gray Man for the Russo Brothers. It’s certainly a huge get for the production and will likely take the sting away from them recently hiring the very awful Mel Gibson for the television series.
Interestingly enough, some of Ana’s first roles were in the thriller Knock Knock and Exposed opposite Keanu Reeves, who might appear in the pic in a brief cameo. We might even get a nod to Ballerina in John Wick 4, which will debut in theaters next May.
There had been rumblings of the studio looking at younger actresses but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
SOURCE: DEADLINE
THE RONIN 