John Wickfranchise director and creative overseer Chad Stahelski addressesFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerina’s reshoots and clarifies just how involved he was in the film. Serving as the first feature filmJohn Wickspinoff,Ballerinastars Ana de Armasas Eve, an assassin seeking revenge for the murder of her family. The film, which hails from director Len Wiseman, has been the subject of numerous reports regarding reshoots that took place after principal photography, with Stahelski rumored to have become more heavily involved in the project.
During a recent interview withTHRin celebration ofJohn Wick’s 10th anniversary, Stahelski comments onBallerinaand just what went down with the spinoff. The director explains that, at first, he wasn’t involved inBallerinaat all, as he was busy withJohn Wick: Chapter 4:
“When they said they wanted to doBallerina, I was still knee-deep inJohn Wick: Chapter 4prep, and that was the most important thing in my life at the time. So you try to give everything you can, but you’re not really overseeing it. I wasn’t really part of [Ballerina] other than, ‘Hey, go with God. This is what made these good. Try to hold on to these axioms, and you’re good.'”
Stahelski goes on to outline the challenges that faced the spinoff, outlining just how miraculous it is that the firstJohn Wick, which he co-directed with David Leitch, ended up being as good as it was. He explains that attempting to recapture this magic in a bottle with an entirely new creative team was always going to be tricky:
“So, what do you think the chances are that they’re going to nail it on the first go? We even talked about it. But they got Ana and they got the vibe right, and while [director] Len [Wiseman] had really no money and time compared to what I had onJohn Wick: Chapter 4, they got quite far. They got something that was really interesting with massive potential. It was a big swing.”
As for theBallerinareshoots, Stahelski downplays just how extensive they were. According to the director,Wiseman didn’t have the time or money needed to pull off certain sequences in the film, and Stahelski, in his capacity as the franchise’s creative overseer, ultimately got involved and helped to take it that extra step. Contrary to reports that the reshoots took two to three months, the filmmaker confirms it was actually only “a couple of weeks.” Read his comment below:
“So we went through it, and Keanu and I sorted out what we’ve been talking about today. We went back in with my writing team that had doneJohnWick: Chapter 4, and my stunt team, andwe just gave it a little shine together with Len and what he had already done. It wasn’t that much. Everybody’s like, ‘Ahh!’ But, no, we just went in for a couple of weeks.
“We changed some of the action sequences and made up for some time that Len just didn’t have. He didn’t have enough time to do some of the bigger shots that it deserved. There was a weather thing in Austria, and so we got to go back in for that.”
What Stahelski’s Ballerina Clarifications Mean For The Film
The John Wick Spinoff Faces High Expectations After Chapter 4
Screen Rantalready released its ownreport regardingBallerina’s reshoots, correcting some erroneous information that was making the rounds, andStahelski’s comments largely confirm that there’s been a great deal of exaggeration when it comes to the film. Reshoots are a common part of the filmmaking process, after all, and it certainly sounds as if vast portions of the movie did not have to be reshot. The fact that Wiseman “got thevibe right,” is a crucial ingredient, and it would suggest that the film will feel like a natural extension of theJohn Wickuniverse.
In addition to de Armas, theBallerinacastincludes franchise veterans like Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick.
IfBallerinafeels like aJohn Wickmovie, it may already have a leg up onThe Continental, which ended up earning somewhat mixed reviews in 2023. It’s not clear whatBallerina’s budget is, but it’s clearly been made for considerably less thanJohn Wick: Chapter 4’s budget of $100 million. SinceJohn Wick: Chapter 4reviewswere glowing and the film was a massive hit,it’s not surprising that a little more money was injected intoBallerinaafter the fact to help it meet these heightened audience expectations, which weren’t in place when the spinoff was first conceived.
Our Take On Ballerina’s Reshoots Situation
The John Wick Spinoff Could Determine The Franchise’s Future
Though it’s easy to paintBallerinaas a movie in trouble, Stahelski’s comments certainly suggest that this isn’t the case. He obviously wouldn’t say if it was, but the director continues to be candid in interviews, and his comments line up with some of the reporting that’s been done.Ballerinawill certainly struggle to match the thrills and execution of theJohn Wickmoviesno matter what, butthe fact that the reshoots were about enhancing the existing material rather than just redoing vast sections of the movie is an important distinction to make.
When Ballerina Takes Place In The John Wick Timeline
Ana de Armas’ spinoff movie Ballerina expands the John Wick universe, and when it takes place in the franchise timeline is officially confirmed.
Ballerinawill be a major test for the franchise, as it’s the first time that Stahelski won’t be directing. As the filmmaker explains,it’s clearly a challenge to recreate his signature brand of action with a different stunt and creative team, and this will continue to be a struggle that future expansions of the franchise face. Hopefully, Stahelski’s extra work onBallerinapays off and the film delivers that classicJohn Wickexperience.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Cast
Ballerina follows Eve Macarro during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, as she undergoes rigorous training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. The film expands on the John Wick universe, charting Eve’s initiation into the clandestine world of professional assassins.
