Arriving on Canal+ on January 10, Ballerina: From the World of John Wick is the first official feature-length spinoff of the blockbuster action saga led by Keanu Reeves. Directed by Len Wiseman and originally released in theaters in 2025, the film doesn’t just ride on the franchise’s success—it dives into one of its most mysterious corners while carving out its own identity.
Where “Ballerina” Fits in the John Wick Timeline
Instead of taking place after John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina unfolds alongside the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. That means viewers return to a world in which the High Table rules, the Continental remains a sanctuary with strict rules, and every favor owed can become a death sentence.
Wiseman’s film zooms in on the Ruska Roma, a ruthless crime organization that disguises its assassin training program behind the façade of a classical ballet troupe. This group was previously teased in the core movies, but here it finally moves to center stage, giving fans a closer look at the traditions, rituals, and brutal discipline that shaped John Wick himself—and now, a new protagonist.
A New Assassin Steps Into the Spotlight
Instead of following John Wick directly, Ballerina is anchored by a new lead: Eve Macarro. Orphaned as a child when her father is murdered, Eve is taken under the wing of Winston, the calculating manager of the New York Continental. The girl he rescues grows up inside the violent etiquette of this universe, learning both the art of dance and the art of killing.
As an adult, Eve becomes a skilled contract killer. But her missions are driven by something more personal than a simple contract: she’s chasing the shadowy sect that wiped out her family and trying to understand the true nature of the organization that shaped her. The film works as a standalone revenge story, yet every rule, coin, and alliance echoes the John Wick mythology.
For fans, that timeline placement is key: you’ll recognize the rules of the Continental, the currency of gold coins, and the code of conduct enforced by the High Table, even though the narrative is told from a completely different vantage point.
Ana de Armas Leads a Familiar John Wick Ensemble
Ana de Armas steps into the role of Eve Macarro, bringing a mix of vulnerability and lethal precision that feels right at home in the Wick universe. After showcasing her action chops in films like No Time to Die, she gets a full feature here to explore a character balancing trauma, discipline, and a thirst for answers.
She’s far from alone. Ballerina weaves recognizable faces from the main saga into Eve’s story, reinforcing the shared continuity:
- Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, appearing in several pivotal sequences that anchor the film in the franchise timeline.
- Ian McShane is back as Winston, the enigmatic manager of the New York Continental, once again pulling strings just out of sight.
- Anjelica Huston reprises her role as the head of the Ruska Roma, presiding over a world where ballet and brutality are inseparable.
- Lance Reddick appears in one of his final performances as Charon, the ever-composed concierge of the Continental.
New players also enter the chessboard, expanding the web of rival factions and agendas surrounding Eve:
- Gabriel Byrne,
- Norman Reedus,
- Catalina Sandino Moreno,
Each of them represents different interests in the conflict between Eve and the cult-like group she’s hunting, adding fresh faces—and fresh threats—to the established lore.
Action Design: Familiar Brutality, Different Sensibility
Ballerina has been in development for years, originating from a script acquired back in 2017. Rather than copy-pasting the exact structure of a John Wick film, the creative team chose to keep the rules and visual world intact while approaching the action from a slightly different angle.
Director Len Wiseman brings his own style to the choreography and staging, emphasizing Eve’s background in ballet as part of her fighting language. The movement is still vicious and precise, but it’s filtered through her training: balance, timing, and control shaped by the stage as much as by the shooting range.
To ensure the spinoff still feels fully aligned with the core series, additional action scenes were shot in 2024 under the guidance of Chad Stahelski, architect of the main John Wick films. Those scenes help anchor Ballerina to the franchise’s well-known standards of kinetic, cleanly shot, and punishing combat.
The soundtrack further cements the connection. Composers Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard—already familiar to fans from previous John Wick entries—return to craft a score that blends moody atmospherics with propulsive, percussive rhythms suited to both dance and gunfights.
Why “Ballerina” Matters for the Future of the John Wick Universe
With Le Continental already expanding the lore on the small screen, Ballerina represents the next step: using a feature film to tell a self-contained story that still plugs directly into the broader saga. For American viewers used to shared universes like the MCU or Star Wars, this is the Wick franchise’s way of building its own interconnected ecosystem of movies and series.
Instead of just filling in blanks, the movie explores themes that have always lurked beneath the surface of the main films—inheritance, obligation, and the difficulty of breaking violent cycles. Eve isn’t simply learning how to survive in this world; she’s trying to figure out whether it’s possible to walk away from a system that has dictated every step of her life since childhood.
By focusing on a woman molded by the same institutions that created John Wick, the film invites comparisons between their paths without turning Eve into a copy of the Baba Yaga. Where Wick’s story leans heavily on grief and personal loss, Eve’s arc centers more on lineage, mentorship, and the cost of revenge for someone who never really had a choice in entering this life.
Do You Need to Watch the John Wick Movies First?
You don’t have to be a John Wick completist to follow Ballerina. The film is designed to function as a standalone revenge thriller: you can understand Eve’s motivations, track her conflict with the mysterious sect, and appreciate the action without having every detail of the franchise memorized.
That said, longtime fans will pick up on a lot more. Knowing how the Continental operates, what the High Table represents, and who Winston and Charon are will add context and emotional weight—especially when familiar faces step into Eve’s path. The movie effectively works on two levels: accessible for newcomers, richer for those who’ve followed the saga from the beginning.
How “Ballerina” Connects (and Doesn’t Connect) to John Wick: Chapter 4
Given the explosive events of John Wick: Chapter 4, it’s natural for viewers to wonder whether Ballerina is a direct follow-up. It isn’t. The narrative is anchored before the fourth film, aligning instead with the time frame of Parabellum.
That placement gives the creative team room to maneuver: they can use John Wick, Winston, the Ruska Roma, and the Continental without being locked into the consequences of Chapter 4. Think of it as a story occurring in the middle of the saga, filling out the universe horizontally rather than extending it forward in time.
Streaming on Canal+: What U.S. Viewers Should Know
Release date on Canal+: January 10. While Canal+ is a French premium channel, its programming often forecasts how and when international titles will roll out across other platforms. For U.S. audiences, Ballerina is positioned as a key chapter in the continuing expansion of the John Wick universe, and its Canal+ debut signals its shift from theatrical run to premium and streaming windows.
As studios increasingly bet on franchises that can cross between cinema, streaming, and television, Ballerina is a blueprint: a spinoff that has to satisfy hardcore fans, introduce a compelling new lead, and stand on its own as a stylish, violent action film.
FAQ
Is “Ballerina” directly connected to John Wick: Chapter 4?
No. The story of Ballerina takes place before the events of John Wick: Chapter 4 and runs in parallel with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, using that period of the timeline to explore a different character and corner of the universe.
Can I watch “Ballerina” without having seen any John Wick movies?
Yes. The film is structured so that newcomers can follow Eve Macarro’s journey and understand her motivations without prior knowledge. However, fans who know the franchise will recognize recurring characters, locations, and rules that add extra layers of meaning.
Does “Ballerina” set up more John Wick spinoffs?
The movie clearly fits into a broader strategy to expand the John Wick universe, a process that has already begun with the series Le Continental. While it doesn’t explicitly announce a sequel in the story itself, its existence and design strongly suggest that more film and TV projects set in this world are on the way.
What makes the action in “Ballerina” different from the main John Wick films?
While Ballerina preserves the clean, hard-hitting style associated with the franchise—especially thanks to additional sequences supervised by Chad Stahelski—Len Wiseman emphasizes Eve’s ballet training in the way she fights. The choreography blends grace and brutality, incorporating balance, flexibility, and rhythm into the gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, giving the action its own signature within the established universe.
